Kingdom Hearts: The Taste of Darkness
by Lord Moldybutt
Summary: Volume I. Three years after Kingdom Hearts 2, Sora must face his worst enemy yet: himself. SoraxKairi. Rated T for violence and stuff.
1. Happily Ever After?

_**The Taste of Darkness**_

_**A Kingdom Hearts novella **_

**A/N: This is a crossover with Kingdom Hearts and Star Wars Episode I, but the Star Wars part doesn't come until a little later. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows. They're magically delicious!**

**Disclaimer: All right, I confess! I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Star Wars. I know you're all shocked. BUT all OCs belong to me. If you use them without my permission, I'll be forced to take away your lollipop. **

**Now back to your regularly scheduled fanfiction.**

* * *

**_Prologue: Happily Ever After?_**

_"Don't forget: wherever you go, I'm always with you_."

--_Kairi_

It had only been ten minutes since the defeat of Xemnas and the fall of Organization XIII. Sora and King Mickey were walking alone together on the beach of the island where the former used to play with his friends.

"Riku decided to come with me to Disney Castle." Mickey informed Sora. "He'll be studying under me as my apprentice. I don't think he'll be coming back to the islands anytime soon."

Sora nodded. "I didn't think he'd stay. Even after we beat Xemnas, he still didn't want to come home. But I'm just glad it's over."

"Sora, your work isn't done yet." Mickey corrected him. "You have one last mission, which will take you the rest of your life."

_Oh no!_ Sora thought. _I just got back to the islands, to my family... to Kairi._ He could only sigh and ask, "What is it?"

"It's nothing new." Mickey assured Sora. "You accepted this mission a long time ago."

Sora was now thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?"

Mickey turned to glance behind him, gesturing for Sora to do the same. Kairi was sitting on the horizontally bent trunk of the paopu tree, staring sadly at her lucky charm made of bound-together shells. It pained Sora to see her looking so dejected. She had filled his thoughts every day he was away, and she had filled his dreams while Naminé had put his memories back.

Mickey looked back toward Sora. "She's a Princess of Heart." he said. "You know that."

Sora nodded and reluctantly turned to face Mickey. "Yeah, I know."

"And Princesses of Heart are supposed to live happily ever after." Mickey continued.

"Yeah, I know."

"I want you to make sure she does, Sora."

Sora's eyes widened. "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

Mickey smiled. "Your hearts are bound more tightly than you could ever imagine. I want you to give her a happily ever after. But you already promised her that a long time ago--during a meteor shower, I think."

Sora smiled and nodded. "I did."

Mickey waved Sora away. "Go on, Sora. She needs someone to cheer her up."

Sora was about to run to her, but Mickey cut him off again. "And Sora..."

Sora turned back to face the king. "What is it, Your Majesty?"

"She really loves you, you know." With this, the king began walking toward his Gummi ship a few yards away.

Sora felt dizzy. _What did the king just say to me?_ He quickly shook it off._ He probably just said that to give me extra incentive. Not that I need it. I already love her._ After removing these thoughts from his mind, Sora rushed down the beach to reach Kairi.

* * *

Kairi still sat on the paopu tree, and still clutched her lucky charm. Her thoughts rested with Sora. _He's only been home for ten minutes and Mickey already took him away.__What if he leaves again? What if he never comes back? I can't go another minute without him._

Her ponderings were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice. "Hey, Kairi!"

Kairi looked up. Sora was running toward her with his trademark smile on his face. That smile always managed to goad her own smile into emerging. It was doing so now. "Hi, Sora." she told him. That was all she could really say.

Sora kept on grinning and sat upon the tree beside her. "You looked sad, so I thought I'd come by and cheer you up."

Kairi's smile was completely visible now. _He can't know how I feel about him. What if my mom found out... _"It was nothing." she said casually.

Sora still looked skeptical. "It sure didn't look like nothing."

"What did the king say?" Kairi asked, changing the subject.

Sora shrugged. "Riku decided to go with them. He's Mickey's apprentice now."

Kairi couldn't say she was surprised. Riku had always been distant. In truth, Kairi didn't really care. She cared for Riku, but the one she _truly_ loved was still beside her. "Is there more?" she questioned.

Sora paused. Kairi saw conflict in his deep azure eyes. After a minute or two, he said, "Yeah. He told be to keep up with my keyblade practice and to always follow my heart. The usual stuff. And he told me I'd never have to leave the islands again."

Kairi's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. _Sora's never leaving me again?_ "Why?" she asked.

Sora instantly stiffened. "Uhh... y'know... I... uhh... I don't know."

Kairi raised an eyebrow at him. He was a very bad liar. "Come on, Sora. No more secrets."

Sora raised his hands defensively. "Secrets? What secrets?"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "What? Did King Mickey make you promise not to tell or something?"

Sora grinned. "Sure! Let's go with that!"

Kairi couldn't help but giggle. Sora could always make her do that. "Okay, fine. You don't have to answer." She looked out at the setting sun as it receded below the horizon.

"I missed sunsets like this." Sora recounted.

Kairi was surprised. "You did? I thought the sunsets on other worlds would be prettier."

Sora reclined in the tree. "I hardly ever saw sunsets on other worlds. I saw one in Atlantica, but it wasn't as pretty. There was something missing."

Kairi was thoroughly interested now. "What?"

"I don't know." Sora said lazily. "I just missed these sunsets, watching the horizon. Where the sky meets the sea."

Kairi nearly blushed. Was that supposed to be a pun? Sora's name meant _sky_ and her own name meant _sea_, and Sora was talking about where the two met. No, that couldn't have been. Sora would have to actually _like_ her before he made a pun like that.

Sora's voice again broke her train of thought. "It's getting dark. I think I'm gonna spend the night here on the island. If I went home, my mom would get all emotional about how she's not seen me in more than a year. That can wait until morning."

Kairi nodded. "I can understand that."

"Would you like to stay with me?"

The question shocked Kairi to no end. _Me? Spend the night alone on the island with Sora?__I can't do that! If I do, I'll probably end up giving away how I feel about him. Oh, I wish I could tell him!_ "What about my mom?" Kairi asked.

That was a silly excuse. She had spent nights on the island before and her foster mother had paid it no mind. _Just as long as those horrible boys you run with aren't around_, she would always tell Kairi, _I don't like how close you are to them_. Kairi had always lied to her with a quick, _Of course they won't be there_. and left. Why was she reluctant to do so now?

Sora was quick to point this out. "She never said no before. Come on, Kairi! You can't use school as an excuse, since summer vacation just started yesterday. _Please_, Kairi! _Pretty please_! I'll get lonely out here by myself."

Sora wore his most irresistible expression, which Kairi often called the "puppy dog face." His eyes were wide and his lip quivered. There was no way Kairi could refuse that face, even before she discovered her feelings for him. She was hopeless now. "Oh, all right. You win."

Sora leaped high into the air, raising his fist in triumph. "Yes!"

* * *

"Sora! Wake up!"

Sora opened his eyes to find Kairi's staring back at him in desperation. "What is it, Kairi?" he asked sleepily.

Sora had fallen asleep not too long ago on a hammock between two sturdy trees. His shoes were cast aside, but he was still wearing his black clothes for lack of anything else. Kairi was dressed in an emergency set of pajamas she kept on the island. Both Riku and Kairi had made fun of her for it, but they had come in handy several times.

Kairi sat down on the hammock. To say that she was frightened would be a gross understatement. "I heard thunder."

Sora instantly understood. Kairi had always been a little scared of thunderstorms, and ever since the giant one that unleashed the Heartless on Destiny Islands for the first time, she was downright _terrified_ of them. Sora sat up and placed his hand on her back comfortingly. "I'm sure it was just your imagination. Yours is almost as crazy as mine!"

The goofy grin on Sora's face forced Kairi to smile. "I'm serious!" she argued, folding her arms across her chest in a false pout. Which, Sora thought, made her look adorable.

"I don't hear anything." Sora told her, but as soon as he finished his statement, a streak of lightning lit up the sky and a boom of thunder rolled in the distance. Kairi instinctively clung to the nearest object, which just happened to be Sora. Sora lifted Kairi's eyes to his and gave her another cheesy smile. "I stand corrected." he chuckled.

And then the rain started to fall. It was a light drizzle at first, but it steadily grew heavier and heavier, until Sora and Kairi were both drenched. Another crack of lightning and boom of thunder indicated that the storm was fast approaching. Kairi clung tighter to Sora, fear blinding her to just how close she was to him.

Sora was a little scared of storms too, after the Heartless invasion, but he wasn't oblivious to the redheaded angel--which is exactly how he would describe her--clinging onto him for dear life. "Come on, Kairi." he told her as he slowly rose to his feet and pried Kairi off of him. "We can't stay out here. Let's go to the secret place."

Sora held out his hand and Kairi clutched it tightly as he led her to the small cave that held so many of their childhood memories. Kairi put forth no resistance, squeezing Sora's hand as tightly as she could. "Gosh, Kairi, you really _are_ scared." Sora laughed as he led her into the secret place.

As soon as she was out of the rain, Kairi realized where she was. _Oh no_! she thought silently. _Why did I let Sora take me here_? _If he sees that drawing, I'm sunk_!

Sora paid no attention to the walls or the drawings upon them. Instead, he took off his jacket and wrung it out as best he could. He motioned for Kairi to sit beside him, and he wrapped the jacket around her shivering body. "Here. I know it's a little wet still, but it's drier than you are." he laughed.

Kairi pulled the jacket as tightly around her as she could. Yes, it was wet, but the jacket was very much like Sora himself: it brought Kairi warmth, comfort, and security. It still wasn't as good as when Kairi had hugged Sora, but it was the closest thing she would dare hope for.

Suddenly, she remembered that Sora now had nothing to warm _him_. "Aren't you cold?" she asked.

"Nah." Sora assured her with his trademark gin. "I'm not the one wearing pajamas."

Kairi smiled, not only because Sora's comment amused her, but also because he had said it while shivering and rubbing his arms for warmth. "Here." she offered, scooting closer to him. "We'll be warmer if we're closer together."

Sora said nothing, but the look on his face clearly expressed his shock. "Relax." she told him. "It's not like I'm gonna bite you."

Sora grinned and shook his head. "I don't know about that. You're pretty vicious."

Kairi giggled as she laid her head back against the dry wall of the cave. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and said, "Tell me a story."

Sora scratched his head. "What?"

Kairi realized what she was doing and quickly came up with an alibi. "I mean... I wanna hear about other worlds. Maybe you could tell me about one of your adventures. At least until the storm's over. I'm still scared." That, at least, was true.

"Oh, all right." Sora conceded. "Is there a specific world you wanted to hear about?"

Kairi shook her head. "No. What was _your_ favorite part?"

Sora grinned. "Good grief, I'm fifteen years old and I'm already telling war stories." Kairi giggled, then looked up at him expectantly. "Well," Sora began, "I guess I could tell you about when I turned into a Heartless. That's _my_ favorite."

Kairi was surprised, and to express this, her eyes widened. "Really?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Donald, Goofy, and I had just fought our way to the top floor of the castle, and we found you lying on the ground. You still didn't have your heart back. Xehanort's Heartless was possessing Riku, and he fought me one-on-one."

"And you won." Kairi finished for him with pride. In her eyes, he was a hero right out of her childhood storybooks; but at the same time, he was still the boy she knew before all this mess started. The war that had calloused his hands and toned his muscles hadn't hardened his soft heart.

This was expressed by the smile he gave her as he said, "It was a whole lot different from when we used to fight over you with little wooden swords. His keyblade was going like a zillion miles an hour and it was hard for me just to keep up. But I had something he didn't have."

"What was that?" Kairi questioned.

"I had something worth fighting for." Sora answered. "I managed to beat him, but I was still hurt pretty bad. I tried to wake you up, but you just _wouldn't_. But then I remembered what Riku--Xehanort's Heartless--had said. Your heart was inside me. So I picked up that fake keyblade that unlocked people's hearts, and I stabbed myself in the heart."

Kairi's eyes went wide with shock. "You stabbed yourself in the _heart_... for _me_?"

Sora nodded. "Then you know the rest. You woke up, I got turned into a Heartless, and I ran down to find you. And then when you hugged me, you gave me my heart back. I can't explain what happened."

Kairi barely heard him. Her mind was still dwelling on the previous statement. "Why did you do all that for _me_? You fought Riku and almost got yourself killed, you stabbed yourself in the heart, you turned into a Heartless... why?"

Sora stared up at the cave ceiling, and thunder rolled in the distance. The storm was passing now. "Kairi," he stated with surprising resolve, "there's something I wanna tell you. Actually... there's something I wanna _show_ you."

Before Kairi could question the meaning of Sora's words, he pressed his lips softly against hers. Kairi's eyes widened in shock for a moment, then closed as she surrendered herself to the overwhelming pleasure of the kiss. Her lips and Sora's fit perfectly together, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, Like they were _meant_ to connect.

After what felt like hours but was in reality only a minute or two, Sora and Kairi parted for air. Kairi's lips still tingled and his unique taste lingered upon them. "That was _amazing_." she murmured.

"I guess you know what I was trying to say." Sora said with a grin.

Kairi nodded. "I love you too."

Sora wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "Man. I'm glad _that's_ off my chest."

"Me too." Kairi agreed, but she suddenly froze. "Oh no."

"What?" Sora asked. "I didn't mean to make you do anything--"

"It's not that." Kairi cut him off. "I love you with all my heart. It's just... there's a problem."

"What's that?" Sora wondered.

"I'm already engaged to someone else. I'm a princess, remember? I was engaged to a prince before I was ever even born. I'm supposed to marry him when I turn eighteen. My foster parents know about it too, and that's why they don't like me hanging around you or Riku. They were afraid I'd fall in love with one of you. Which I did."

Sora slumped. "Crud. I never thought about it like that. If I'm putting you in danger..."

"No." Kairi assured him. "Actually, it's the other way around. If you date me, we have to keep it a secret from _everybody_. There's no telling what the _prince_ would do to you if he found out. The only person I know who could keep it a secret would be Riku. He's good at keeping secrets."

"You're telling me." Sora commented. "It took me forever to figure out where to even _find_ him. And wait... you're saying we're _dating_? Already?"

Kairi smiled. "Do you have a problem with that, Mister Keyblade Master?"

"No argument here." Sora returned. "And as far as the constant fear of getting caught goes, I think I'm still up for some adventure."

Sora yawned and lay down upon the soft sand of the cave floor. Kairi snuggled up beside him, so close that Sora's small jacket was able to cover both of them. In this manner, they fell asleep listening to the pouring rain outside and feeling the beat of each other's heart.

* * *

**A/N: You like? I thought not. Anyways, I'm posting the OFFICIAL first chapter today also. So click that little review button there and gimme some feedback. But... be gentle. I'm a noob.**


	2. Happy Birthday

_**A/N: Surprise! I told you I'd post this one too 'cuz I love you guys. See prologue for disclaimers. And here we go!**_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Happy Birthday**

_"I may not have a heart, but I know very well how to injure one"_

--Saïx

_**Three years pass...**_

Sora awoke at 9:30 that morning with a smile on his face. Today was Kairi's eighteenth birthday! Sora had turned eighteen only two weeks earlier, and was eager to see Kairi come with him to adulthood.

In the three years that had passed, little had changed. Sora and Kairi still loved each other, and their bond grew stronger each day. He knew he had to move swiftly, though, if he expected to see her and wish her a happy birthday. He still had to keep their relationship a secret from _everyone_.

Sora hastily showered and brushed his teeth before grabbing a small box wrapped in blue paper from his nightstand and racing out the door of his house, toward Kairi's. Absolutely nothing could go wrong with this day...

Kairi awoke at 9:45 to the sound of tapping. She realized what it was immediately and ran to her bedroom window. She saw Sora perched precariously on her windowsill and waving to her, wearing that goofy smile of his. She smiled back and opened the window. Sora climbed through it carefully, clutching a small blue box. As soon as he was through the window, he grabbed Kairi by the waist and kissed her tenderly. "Happy birthday." he whispered after their lips parted.

"Birthday?" Kairi repeated.

"Yeah." Sora said with a grin. "Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday. Especially your _eighteenth_ birthday."

Kairi's eyes widened and she practically fell onto the bed. She buried her face in her hands. "Oh no!" she cried.

"What is it?" Sora asked, sitting down beside her and holding her in his arms. "What--hang on a minute." Sora suddenly remembered. Kairi was engaged to be married to a prince on her eighteenth birthday. "This is not good." he stated simply.

Kairi began to cry into Sora's shoulder again. "Sora, I'm scared. I'm supposed to be married to that prince _today_! What are we gonna do?"

Sora wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her back gently. "It's okay, Kairi." he told her. "We'll get through this. I'd like to see that prince guy hold a keyblade."

The notion made Kairi smile, but she was still significantly worried. Sora continued to comfort her until they heard a voice. "Kairi, I hope you're awake up there! I want you to look your best for your new husband!"

They heard Kairi's foster mother coming up the stairs, headed for Kairi's room. "You have to go!" Kairi exclaimed. Sora only clung tighter to her. "Sora, get out of here! I don't want you fighting before you have to!" Kairi pleaded.

Sora reluctantly let go of Kairi. "All right, I'll go. I promise I won't let them take you. I _promise_." He then rushed to the window and leaped from it. Kairi hoped Sora would keep his promise.

The blue box containing Kairi's birthday gift lay on the floor. Kairi was about to pick it up when her foster mother came bursting through the door. "Kairi! What's going on in here? I thought I heard you talking to someone."

Kairi forced herself smile. "There's nobody in here, Mom. Can a girl not talk to herself anymore?"

Sakana only shrugged. "All right. You need to get ready. Your _real_ father will be arriving in half an hour with your future husband."

Kairi stood up and sighed. "All right, Mom."

Sakana left the room and shut the door. Kairi ran to the window. Sora was nowhere to be seen. _Sora, how could you leave me at a time like this?_ Kairi thought before getting ready. She was _not_ looking forward to this.

* * *

Sora was hiding in a tree near Kari's house. From this position, he could look around Kairi's house without being seen. After an hour had passed, Sora saw something in the sky. It was a strange multicolored vessel. _A Gummi ship?_ Sora wondered. Sure enough, a Falcon Lv. 5 class Gummi ship touched down in front of Kari's house, stretching from one side of the broad street to the other. _Wow._ Sora thought. _That's a nice ship. Somebody inside must be really important to need all that protection._

From the Gummi ship first emerged six guards in black suits, each armed with a gunblade. These were followed by a blue-haired man wearing a blue robe similar in design to the red one worn by Ansem the Wise in his final days. The man appeared to be in his early twenties. "Stay here." the man informed the guards. "I'll return in a moment with my princess."

Sora clenched his fists. _This must be the prince Kairi's supposed to marry._ Sora didn't like him at all. He reeked of arrogance and pride. Of _darkness_.

"Of course, Prince Shin'en." one of the guards acknowledged him. Prince Shin'en smiled haughtily and walked inside Kari's house.

Once inside, Shin'en was greeted by Kairi's foster mother. "Hello! You must be Prince Shin'en! I've heard so much about you! But... where's Kairi's father? Where is King Ansem?"

Shin'en shook his head. "King Ansem died almost three years ago. He was trying to encode Kingdom Hearts into data, but it backfired and the explosion killed him."

Sakana shrugged her shoulders. She had only met the man once, and he had seemed like a lunatic to her. She quickly changed the subject. "How has the Radiant Garden government been holding up?" As the wife of a mayor, she found legal matters such as these interesting enough.

"It is under the control of a group called the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee. They're not who I would have chosen, but at least the world hasn't _completely_ forgotten where the true authority lies. They've agreed to step down as soon as Kairi marries; in other words, tonight."

Sakana nodded. "All right, Prince Shin'en. Kairi is upstairs preparing to meet you."

* * *

Kairi was in her bedroom, looking mournfully out the window. She wore an ornate pink dress that made her look like a princess, but what this dress represented made her feel like a slave. "Kairi!" she heard her foster mother call. "Your fiancé is here to see you!"

Kairi felt a tear roll down her cheek. "Sora, where are you?" she whispered before wiping the tear away. She had to be strong. Sora would want that. She resigned herself to her fate and began to walk down the stairs.

* * *

Sora could bear it no longer. He _had_ to do something. he leaped from the tree and landed in the middle of the group of guards. One of them stopped him, brandishing his gunblade. The guard was a muscular black man, standing about 6' 3", with a completely bald head and a booming bass voice. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"I have to talk to Kairi." Sora informed him, walking toward the door.

"I don't think so." The guard told Sora, placing his gunblade on the youth's shoulder.

Sora concentrated, causing the Oathkeeper keyblade appeared in his hand. "I _said_ I have to talk to Kairi."

The guards stood down. "A keyblade?" their leader exclaimed. His expression was still hard to read, since he was wearing sunglasses. "Calm down. We don't want trouble."

Sora glared at the guard. "Then let me talk to Kairi."

The guard sheathed his gunblade. "Okay, boy. Sorry to bother you."

Sora still clutched his keyblade tightly as he walked toward Kairi's house.

* * *

Kairi slowly and hesitantly made her way into the living room. She could see Prince Shin'en looking toward her, on his face a satisfied smile. Kairi could feel the prince's arrogance just as Sora did, and it made her shudder to think that she would be _marrying_ this man. She hated him already. _Sora, please come back._ she silently pleaded as she approached her fiancé.

Shin'en looked Kairi over, as though sizing her up. His eyes lingered for a few seconds on her well-developed breasts. He at last smiled and said, "She's perfect."

Kairi did not like the sound of that, but her foster mother did. "Wonderful!" the latter shouted. "I hoped you'd be pleased! Let's get to Radiant Garden and we'll make arrangements for the wedding!"

"Hold it right there!"

Kairi's heart leaped as she heard Sora's voice. He burst into the room with a confident stride, keyblade in hand. Kairi rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Sora! I knew you'd come!"

"I promised, didn't I?" Sora told her. His keyblade disappeared and he returned her embrace. "I never break my promises."

"Who's this?" Shin'en demanded. "What's he doing with my wife?"

Sakana crossed her arms. "That's what _I_ want to know. Kairi, get away from him this instant!"

"No!" Kairi cried, holding Sora tighter. "I'm not marrying Shin'en!"

"What are you talking about?" Sakana shrieked. "Of course you are!"

"No!" Kairi repeated. She clung to Sora so tightly he could barely breathe. "I don't love him! I love Sora!"

Sakana was hysterical. "Get away from her!"

Sora raised his hands. Kairi still didn't release him. "I couldn't if I wanted to." he shrugged. "She's stronger than she looks."

"How _dare_ you talk back to me like that!" Sakana screamed.

"Sorry, ma'am. I'm under higher orders." Sora retorted, remembering King Mickey's instructions. _Princesses of Heart are supposed to live happily ever after_. _I want you to make sure she does, Sora._

To everyone's surprise, Shin'en smiled and raised his hand. "Relax, Sakana, play nicely." This effectively ceased Sakana's shouting. Shin'en walked toward Sora and glared at him. "This boy is obviously suffering from delusions of grandeur. He needs to be taught a lesson."

Sora broke Kairi's grip on him and summoned the Oathkeeper keyblade. "Get behind me, Kairi." he said. Kairi nodded and obeyed.

Shin'en fingered Sora's keyblade and scoffed. "The keyblade. A weapon conceived by light and forged in darkness. It means _nothing._"

Sora poised the Oathkeeper at Shin'en's throat. "How's _this_?"

"There's no need for violence." Shin'en said. "You can surrender now."

"Why?" Sora hissed. "Afraid to lose?"

Shin'en smirked. "Not likely. I just don't feel like getting my hands dirty." Shin'en effortlessly shoved Sora aside and seized Kairi's wrist. "Sora!" she cried.

Sora swung at Shin'en with all his might. To his surprise, Shin'en blocked the keyblade with the palm of his hand! No, not his hand. A strange disk of Reflega energy separated Sora's keyblade from the prince's palm, but only by a centimeter. Sora was sent flying backward in recoil. Shin'en's arrogant smile returned. "My apologies, but you won't be able to kill me that easily."

Sora charged at Shin'en again. Thundaga magic flew from the prince's fingertips and struck Sora to the ground. Kairi watched in horror. "No!" she screamed. She struggled desperately to get free, but Shin'en's grip was firm. How she _longed_ to rush to Sora's side! Alas, she could not prevent Shin'en from dragging her out the door. "Sora!" she cried again.

Sora heard Kairi calling to him and was knocked back to his senses. "Kairi!" he called back to her, leaping to his feet and racing out the door behind her.

Sora found Shin'en trying to drag Kairi into the Gummi ship. "Guards!" Shin'en ordered. "Open fire on the boy!"

"Sora!" Kairi called to her lover again as she was pulled toward the ship.

Sora raced toward Kairi, but felt a weak Fire spell slam into his back, fired from one of the guards' gunblades. Already in agony from the Thundaga magic, Sora dropped to the ground. He brought his keyblade up to deflect a second blast, sending it back into his attacker. Sora got up and ran toward the ship, his body in pain. "Kairi!"

Kairi and her captor were nearly inside the ship. Sora charged toward the vessel, only to feel more Fire magic in his back. He fell to his knees. He got up again and tried to rush to Kairi, but five of the six guards stopped him. Sora parried their attacks and tried to get past them, but they were about to overtake him. Sora desperately shoved past them, only to find that the ship was _taking off!_

Ignoring his countless burns, Sora gathered all of his strength for a leap at the still-open entrance of the Gummi ship. Shin'en raised his hand, and a powerful Blizzaga spell pelted Sora with ice. Sora fell to the ground. "No!" he heard Kairi shriek as the entrance began to close. "Sora!"

The entrance closed and the ship blasted off into the sky, taking Kairi with it. Sora watched it go, and hate swelled within him. He raised his keyblade in the air and finally managed to cast a Curaga spell on himself. The burns subsided, but Sora was still in pain. This pain was nothing, however, in the face of Sora's rage.

Sora's keyblade disappeared. His skin, clothes, and hair turned coal black. His eyes became glowing yellow orbs. His hands became claws. Whiplike tentacles sprouted from his wrists.

Anti-form had emerged.

Sora's Anti-form hadn't appeared in over three years. It was the darkness of Sora's heart incarnate, and only appeared when Sora was exceedingly angry or scared. Anti-form, unlike Sora's other forms, had a mind of its own. Not a personality, really--just instincts and emotions that were clearly associated with the darkness. Sora had little control of himself in this form, and never _wished_ for it to appear. It just _did_.

The five guards drew their gunblades and fired at Anti-form. Anti-form leaped high into the air, evading the bullets. At the same time, its twin tentacles lashed out and pierced two of the guards' hearts. They hit the ground at the same time Anti-form did. It whipped the gunblades out of two more guards' hands, then lashed their heads off with a single graceful swipe. The fifth guard was still firing at Anti-form, though he caused the dark beast no harm.

He just _really_ ticked it off.

Anti-form leaped onto the guard's chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Anti-form quickly leaped from the guard's chest, then drove its tentacles into his brain. Working from the brain downward, the tentacles sliced the guard in half in a microsecond.

Now only one guard remained--the one injured early in the fight. Anti-form approached him, tentacles extended and coiling around themselves in anticipation. It looked straight into the guard's eyes with its own cold, pitiless orbs. The guard was very large--possibly 6' 3"--with ebony skin and a shaven head. His sunglasses were on the end of his nose, revealing his frightened eyes underneath.

The guard was a pitiful sight. He was on his knees, arms spread wide in surrender. His gunblade was on the ground, another sign of submission. "Don't kill me." he pleaded. His voice was a booming bass. "I surrender. Please don't kill me."

Anti-form's natural impulse was to kill the guard immediately. Sora's own personality, however, stopped him. Sora tried to revert to his original self, and under normal conditions he would have, but this time, a strange thing happened.

Anti-form didn't want to go.

Anti-form raised its tentacles, ready to lash the guard's head clean off his shoulders, but Sora fought harder. _No_! he implored his darker half. _He's a helpless prisoner_! _I can't kill him_!

Anti-form clutched at its head, shrieking inhumanly. Suddenly, Sora gained control of himself again. His body was no longer black, and his eyes were their natural blue. He sounded shaken as he said to the guard, "I almost killed you."

The guard, to Sora's surprise, chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed that."

It was then that Sora recognized the guard as the very one who allowed Sora into Kairi's house! He raised an eyebrow inquisitively at the guard. "You're not with Shin'en, are you?"

"No, I'm not." the guard answered. He picked up his gunblade and sheathed it. "My name is Kuro."

Sora extended his hand. "Sora."

Kuro shook Sora's hand as a sign of trust. "I know." the former stated. "I heard the princess call you that."

Sora's eyes widened as he remembered Kairi. He felt so _guilty_. She had _begged_ for him to help her, but he had been too late. He would not make that mistake twice. "We have to find Kairi."

Kuro inhaled deeply. "How? Unless you've got a Gummi ship, we're stuck here."

Sora looked in the direction of the children's play island, where he and Kairi had first confessed their love for each other. "Actually," he said, "I do. Come on."

* * *

Sora led Kuro to the docks, where he untied his boat and rowed across to the island. After searching around the island for a few minutes, Sora found what he was looking for: a modified Highwind Lv. 8 class Gummi ship hidden among the trees, flanked by two Teeny ships. On the nose of the jet-black Gummi ship, large gold letters spelled out the vessel's name: _My Dinghy_.

Kuro must have found the name a bit strange. "My dinghy?" he asked Sora with a raised brow.

"It's a long story." Sora sighed. The name had been decided three years ago, only days after Sora's return. Sora was looking for a place to keep his beloved Gummi Ship when Kairi had said that the Gummi ship needed a name. After refusing several realistic ship names, Sora had thrown up his hands and said, "Let's just call it _My Dinghy _and get it over with!" Kairi had laughed for a long time at this notion, so Sora decided that the name was perfect. It had stuck ever since.

The entrance to _My Dinghy _opened and Sora stepped inside. Kuro stepped in behind him. Sora immediately took the captain's chair. Kuro looked at him skeptically. "Aren't you a little young to fly a Gummi ship?"

"I've been flying these things since I was fourteen." Sora answered as he fiddled with the controls of the ship. "Problems?"

Kuro had to laugh. "Not at all. Just as long as you know what you're doing."

Sora ran his fingers over the familiar controls of _My Dinghy_. "This is her first flight since Xemnas was destroyed."

Kuro chuckled. "I know. The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee told me all about you."

Sora's eyes widened as he heard this. "You're with the Restoration Committee?"

Kuro nodded. "I'm a spy for the Restoration Committee. When I joined about a month ago, this messy business with Shin'en was already flaring up in Radiant Garden. The Restoration Committee doesn't like the situation any more than you do. I'm supposed to help you save Kairi. Why do you think I let you go in her house?"

Sora was left with a lot of questions. "Then why did you shoot at me?"

"The entire thing was a test." Kuro explained. "I used low-grade Fire magic on you, and you deflected it back at me. I pretended to be out of the fight until the other guards were dead. If you'd have killed _me_, you'd have failed the test."

Sora was even more confused now. "So you were on my side the whole time, but you didn't _help_?"

Kuro shook his head. "I couldn't. I told you, the whole thing was a test. In fact, the test is still going on."

"A test for _what_?" Sora demanded.

"I'm not sure if I'm the right person to tell you that, Sora." Kuro stated. "Let's just get to Radiant Garden and rescue Kairi."

Sora nodded and fired up _My Dinghy_'s engines.

* * *

**A/N: There you go! The second installment of a 15-part story. BUT I will only post the rest if you REVIEW! Reviewing makes me all happy inside. So click the little square button there (I don't think it bites) and gimme some feed, man!**


	3. A Change in Flight Plans

**A/N: Okay, I lied. I know I still don't have any reviews and I'm still updating, but I _really_ like this story! Oh, and thanks to The Key of Hope for favoriting this story, but it's not enough! You wanna make me happy? REVIEW! Even if it's only pointing out errors I make. I NEED reviews!**

**All right, enough chatter! on to Chapter 2!**

**Chapter 2: A Change in Flight Plans**

_"Kairi, remember what you said before_?_ I'm always with you too_._ I'll come back to you_,_ I promise_!_"_

_--Sora_

Sora watched as the skies of Destiny Islands became the colorful abyss that separated worlds. He checked his monitors, and everything aboard _My Dinghy_ seemed to be working properly.

Until he tried to engage his warp drive. "Crap." he muttered to himself.

"What is it?" Kuro asked.

"My warp drive's shot." Sora answered. "I can't believe it! It'll take us two hours at _least_ to get to Radiant Garden now!"

"Then we'd better get going." Kuro said with an understanding tone.

As _My Dinghy_ continued its voyage, Sora noticed something strange. No Heartless ships were attacking. The skies (if they could be called that) were clear and free of malice. Sora was even able to put the ship on autopilot while he and Kuro talked. "Okay, maybe I was wrong." Sora said after fifteen minutes of smooth flight at the ship's maximum speed. "We might get there in half an hour."

Sora instantly regretted his words. As soon as they had escaped his lips, a ship loomed into view--not a Gummi ship, but a full-sized airship called the _Nullifier_, complete with artillery in places Sora's own ship didn't even have. "What is _that_? he asked.

Kuro gazed out the viewport of _My Dinghy_. "This doesn't look good. I _know_ that ship."

"You do?" Sora questioned. "How?"

"It's the _Nullifier_. Shin'en's personal airship." Kuro answered.

Sora looked at the radar screen. Several Gummi ships apparently surrounded the massive _Nullifier_. "How did we catch up to them?"

"Your dinghy is a fast ship, Sora." Kuro stated with a small smile at his play on the ship's name. "The _Nullifier_ isn't. Shin'en's Gummi ship is probably docked somewhere inside."

"That means Kairi's inside." Sora reasoned. It all made sense. Sora hadn't met any Heartless opposition because they were all wiped out by Shin'en's fleet.

Sora's ponderings were interrupted by his ship's radio crackling to life. "_Unidentified craft, state your business._" commanded the voice of what Sora believed to be the pilot of the _Nullifier_.

Sora turned on his radio and answered, "This is a cargo ship headed for Radiant Garden."

"_What's your cargo?_" the pilot asked.

Sora turned to Kuro, who only stared back. It was hard to tell what Kuro was thinking when his eyes were behind those sunglasses of his. Sora shrugged and said, "A shipment of Orichalcum+."

"_Who made the order?_"

"Don't ask me. I'm just the delivery guy. Moogles, I think."

"_Your ship is awfully small to be a cargo ship._"

"It wasn't a very large shipment. You know how rare Orichalcum+ is."

"_Prince Shin'en was never notified of such a shipment._"

"Are you sure?"

"_Affirmative._"

"Gee, I guess you caught us." Sora said jokingly. "This is an unlicensed Highwind Lv. 8 Gummi ship being driven by an eighteen-year-old boy on a mission to kidnap Princess Kairi."

The pilot laughed at Sora's 'joke.' "_All right, I get the picture. You're free to..."_ The pilot stopped in mid-clearance. Sora banged his head against the dashboard of his ship. They had come so _close_. _"Yes, sir._" Sora heard the pilot say. "_What? No, sir. Of course not, sir. Wait, sir... I..._"

Sora heard a gasp of pain from his radio, followed by the unmistakable voice of Shin'en. "_Listen you--Sora, was it?--I know it's you in that ship. But you are too late. Although we have only been together a few short moments, Kairi has fallen madly in love with me. We are scheduled to wed as soon as we reach Radiant Garden. Just listen to how she fawns over me."_

Sora jerked in surprise as he heard Kairi's voice. "Sora! Get away while you still can! He's gonna--"

Sora clenched his fists in anger. "Let her go, Shin'en."

Shin'en laughed. _"I'm afraid not, Sora. I would invite you to our wedding, but I doubt you'll live that long. Ta-ta, Sora._"

Sora's radio went dead. Kuro shot up from his chair. "They're shooting at us!"

Sora looked out one of the viewports to find every single cannon on the _Nullifier_ charging up and preparing to fire. The Gummi ships surrounding the _Nullifier_ also broke rank and flew at _My Dinghy_ with their weapons blazing. "Great." Sora sighed as his fingers flew over the controls, disengaging the autopilot and maneuvering the ship out of the other ships' firing range. He then turned _My Dinghy_ around and began to return fire, eliminating three Gummi ships at once before banking hard to the left to evade fire.

Kuro watched Sora in amazement. "Where did you learn to fly?" he asked.

Sora shrugged, never losing focus. "Chip and Dale taught me a lot, but I think I'm this good because I used to play a lot of video games. Before I got into _real_ war."

Kuro seemed confused. "Chip and Dale?"

"Yeah." Sora replied. Twin missiles were locked onto his Teeny ships, but a simple snap-roll caused the missiles to crash into each other and explode harmlessly. The keyblade master wasn't even nervous. "They're chipmunks. They used to fly me places, but I kept bugging them to let me try. They eventually gave in and let me drive. And just look at the results." Even as he spoke, one of the _Nullifier_'s massive cannons erupted into a blossom of flame.

Kuro had no idea what Sora was talking about (he had never even _heard_ of Disney Castle or its inhabitants before) but could not argue. Sora was quite skilled.

Sora flew _My Dinghy_ directly in front of one of the _Nullifier_'s cannons, then pulled up sharply. The cannon fired at two Gummi ships on Sora's tail, obliterating them. Sora then changed course and destroyed the cannon. "Yee-haw!" he cried. He liked dogfights. They allowed him to release his worries and his fears while watching enemy ships explode by his hand.

"Hold on!" Kuro shouted. "Sora, if you destroy the _Nullifier_--"

"Are you crazy, Kuro?" Sora interjected. "I'm not stupid. I'm perfectly aware that Kairi's aboard the _Nullifier_. I'm just gonna disarm it and destroy its consort ships, then do the best I can to get out of sight without losing it. I would normally destroy its sensor array, but a blind airship in the middle of space isn't gonna last long. Good thing I put cloaking devices on _My Dinghy_."

Kuro was stunned. The boy knew more about ships than _he _did. He just sat quietly and allowed Sora to operate. Sora had apparently installed devices to control his Teeny ships as well, as they now maneuvered with almost as much dexterity as _My Dinghy_ itself. Sora had to make sure _they_ avoided fire too, or he'd be left with almost no firepower. This was the only shortcoming in Sora's design for his ship: _My Dinghy_ herself was built for speed and maneuverability, while the Teeny ships held almost all of the ship's weaponry. Sora easily overcame this shortcoming, however, as he skillfully worked the complicated controls with a sharp mind and nimble fingers.

The _Nullifier_ flew onward during the conflict at a snail's pace, slowly bringing the battle with it. After a while, Sora picked up something huge on the radar. At first, he thought it was Radiant Garden, but further scanning revealed the massive bleep on the radar as a swarm of Heartless battleships! The fighting ceased a moment later as the Gummi ship pilots and _Nullifier_ pilot noticed the swarm. Another modification Sora had made: his radar had a wider range than most ships.

Sora activated his radio and said into the microphone, "Get prince Shin'en on the horn right now!"

Shin'en's voice was heard a moment later. _"What is it, Sora? Let me guess. You're calling to tell me that you've single-handedly crippled the Nullifier's defenses just as a big swarm of Heartless are coming to destroy us all, and now you want us to form a temporary truce because you don't want my airship destroyed. Correct?"_

"Exactly." Sora confirmed. "I destroyed your airship's defenses, so you're practically a sitting duck without me."

"_Why would you offer to help me after I launched a full-scale attack on your ship?_" Shin'en demanded.

"Because Kairi's on that ship." Sora answered automatically. "If she wasn't, I'd probably fly away and let you die. So, what do you say? Truce?"

"_I have no choice_." Shin'en stated coldly. "_Very well. Truce. You will protect the Nullifier while what's left of my Royal Navy attempts to clear a path for us."_

"And in return?" Sora questioned.

"_Kairi doesn't explode." _Shin'en retorted.

"Nuh-uh." Sora declared. "You have to promise me safe passage to Radiant Garden. As soon as we land, you can turn on me for all I care. But I don't want you firing on me during the trip."

The Heartless fleet was approaching quickly. Shin'en knew this. "_We don't have time for petty negotiations._"

"Fine." Sora yawned. "See you and Kairi in the next life." Sora flared his engines to get his point across. He hoped Shin'en saw it.

He did. "_All right! Safe passage to Radiant Garden! Just know that as soon as we touch down, we will be enemies once more._"

"Fine by me." Sora acquiesced. "We need to maintain radio contact so I can guard your six better."

"_Agreed._" Shin'en sighed.

"By the way, I'd better not see Kairi hurt when we get to Radiant Garden. In any way. Otherwise, things might get pretty ugly. Sora out."

As Sora flew toward the _Nullifier_, Kuro spoke to him completely in awe. "Amazing. You're an excellent swordsman, a _phenomenal_ pilot, a persuasive negotiator, and a fiercely loyal friend. Is there anything you _can't_ do?"

* * *

_Is there anything he can't do?_

The thought had come to Kairi very shortly after the "negotiations" with Shin'en were complete. Sora had sounded so strong, so confident... it made Kairi's heart ache for him even more.

Kairi was shackled by one wrist to one of the chairs on the _Nullifier_'s command bridge. Shin'en had killed the first pilot, and a new one had taken his place. Shin'en was standing over Kairi's chair, making her feel as powerless as possible.

Kairi watched the _Nullifier_'s viewscreen as Sora's ship shot down any Heartless vessels that came near. "_Yee-haw!"_ she heard his voice exclaim through the radio as he destroyed a Heartless ship with the boldness and élan that was near the top of her endless list of reasons why she loved him. She had no way of seeing him, but she knew he was wearing his classic Sora smile.

Shin'en must have noticed Kairi's reveries. "You still have hope that he will save you." he said.

Kairi gave a weak nod. "He promised." She had no idea why he was telling Shin'en this, but she couldn't help herself. "He always keeps his promises."

Shin'en's smug smile spread across his face. "_He_ might, but I have no intention of keeping mine."

"What are you talking about?" Kairi asked.

Shin'en's eyes wandered to the viewscreen. Sora had just destroyed a nasty-looking Heartless ship. "As soon as we get out of this Heartless swarm," Shin'en said, "My Gummi ships will resume the attack."

"You wouldn't!" Kairi gasped. "He trusts you! He could be killed!"

"That's the general idea." Shin'en said with a smirk.

Kairi was about to say things unbecoming of a Princess of Heart, but she was interrupted by Sora's voice over the radio. "_Is it just me, or is your Royal Navy just a little bit slow? There's a swarm of Heartless battleships all over this airship! Kairi, since I know you're listening, you owe me big time for this!_"

Kairi's heart fluttered upon that last sentence. It showed that Sora was still light-hearted, even in the middle of a dogfight. "_Nasty little boogers!_" Sora grumbled. They were meaningless words uttered in frustration, but they still made Kairi giggle.

She regretted that when Shin'en slapped her across the face. "Don't laugh." he said sharply.

Kairi's face stung as she brought her hand to it. She nodded slightly. It didn't help, though, with Sora's voice shouting from the radio, "_Arrgh! I'll blast ye to the mizzenmast, ye salty cur!_"

Now Kairi knew Sora was _trying_ to make her laugh, to try to cheer her up even though she was a prisoner on an enormous vessel. And he was succeeding. Despite her best efforts to resist, a laugh escaped her lips, only to be met by the sting of another slap from Shin'en. "I told you not to laugh."

Kairi remained silent and watched as Sora's ship destroyed countless Heartless vessels without so much as a scratch. It even performed victory loops after clearing an area of the _Nullifier_. She would occasionally glimpse the name of the ship emblazoned on its nose: _My Dinghy_. The very name brought back wonderful memories that made Kairi want to burst out giggling again, but the sting on her face reminded her to keep quiet. Still, that memory brought another memory to Kairi's head, followed by another, then another, until she found herself _daydreaming_.

Kairi eventually lost herself in her reveries. She would occasionally jolt back to reality after an exclamation from Sora over the radio, (which would again give her the forbidden urge to giggle) but she soon returned to her thoughts.

"_Alrighty, then._" Sora at last said over the radio, bringing hope to Kairi's eyes. "_That's the last of the Heartless. I wonder where they came from, anyway--but that's beside the point. You promised me safe passage to Radiant Garden, Shin'en, and I'm holding you to it._"

"Of course, Sora." Shin'en replied courteously. "Whatever you say."

"_Then why are all your Gummi ships FIRING AT ME?_" Sora shouted. "_Lucky for me there's only five, though. Whoops! Make that four._ _Is everybody in the Royal Navy flying under the influence today?_"

Kairi laughed, but Shin'en was too preoccupied to care. "_Was that Kairi_?" Sora asked. "_Hi, Kairi! Did you know your fiancé is a jerk_? _Don't answer that. The four--three--Gummi ships left are sneaky little devils. I gotta go. Love you, Kai!_"

Kairi smiled at Sora's remark. Her smile widened as Shin'en told the pilot, "I'm going below. Make sure the princess doesn't do anything she'll regret."

Shin'en left the bridge. Kairi was alone with the inexperienced _Nullifier_ pilot. "I'd like to talk to Sora." she said.

The pilot shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The prince said not to do anything you'll regret later."

"But I _won't_ regret this." Kairi argued. She tried her best to imitate Sora's puppy dog face. "Please?"

The pilot scratched the back of his head nervously. "All right. You can talk to him."

* * *

Sora was on a roll. There was only one Gummi ship remaining besides his own, but it was a tenacious one. Kuro had decided to keep quiet, since Shin'en might recognize his voice. He still needed to maintain the facade of Shin'en's guard, just in case.

Sora, meanwhile, couldn't believe how events were unfolding. The enemy ship had him on the run! _My Dinghy_ was much faster than the other ship, but running away wasn't really an option. All he could really do was maneuver his Teeny ships to start firing blindly behind him. That wasn't doing much good.

Suddenly, his radio crackled to life. "_Sora_?"

"Huh?" Sora at first didn't recognize the voice, especially since his attention was captured by two missiles streaking toward him from the enemy vessel. "Oh, hi, Kairi!" he exclaimed.

"_I'm sorry, is this a bad time?_" Kairi asked. "_You have missiles on your tail_."

"Yeah, I saw those." Sora replied, trying a snap-roll to destroy the missiles like last time. Unfortunately, unlike last time, the missiles weren't flying in perfect tandem. Their vectors did not intersect. Instead of exploding, the missiles continued to gain on Sora's tail. "But I'm never too busy for you, Kairi. I have to ask, though--why are you talking to me?"

"_Shin'en went below deck, and the pilot was nice enough to let me talk to you_." Kairi answered. "_This might be the only chance we get before I_ _marry him_."

"Don't ever say things like that." Sora assured her. He tried to loop the ship, performing a snap-roll in the middle of the maneuver, but still no good. Those missiles weren't going to intersect. Sora didn't worry too much, though. He wasn't even going at full velocity. "Are you okay in there?"

"_He hit me_,_ Sora_." Kairi answered shakily. "_Hard_."

Sora abruptly turned the ship around, flying toward the enemy vessel. He flew directly under the hostile Gummi's belly, then zoomed forward at full speed. The missiles' proximity sensors activated and detonated, but they hit the wrong ship. The hostile Gummi was destroyed by its own missiles. "I'm gonna kill him." Sora stated as he flew victory loops around the _Nullifier_. "I'm gonna kill that dirty son of a--"

"_Sora_!" Kairi interrupted. "_That's no way for a keyblade master to talk_!" More affectionately, she added, "_Even if it is true_."

"I love you, Kai." Sora said simply.

"_I love you too_." Kairi returned.

"Kairi, can you ask the pilot to put me on the loudspeaker? The entire ship needs to hear this."

"_What_?"

"Trust me, Kairi. I need to address the ship. I'll talk to you soon, I promise."

Sora leaned back in his chair. He turned the ship's autopilot back on, since the _Nullifier_ was disabled and there were no more hostile ships. After a moment, he heard Kairi say, "_Okay, you're on_."

Sora put on his best smile and spoke into the radio. "Good afternoon, crew and reluctant passenger of the _Nullifier_! This is Sora, speaking from the Gummi ship _My Dinghy_, and I'll be your escort for the remainder of the voyage. We'll be making a nonstop flight to Radiant Garden, so I suggest you sit back, relax, and have some peanuts. Especially _you_, Prince Shin'en. You never know which meal could be your last. Have a nice day!"

Sora switched off the radio and turned to Kuro. "The rest of this trip should be smooth sailing."

Kuro shook his head. "Sora, you are the most bigheaded, stubborn, overconfident boy I've ever met. The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee wouldn't approve of _half_ the stunts you pulled today." After Sora stared blankly at him for a moment, he added, "You done good."

* * *

**A/N: Not bad, eh? Well it only gets better from here, so be sure to keep on reading! And click the little review button down there! He needs a friend! As Smokey the bear says, "Only you can prevent friendless review buttons."**

* * *


	4. Picking Up the Scent

**A/N: ****A little note: this chapter is a little on the short side. I tried to make it longer, but it just didn't sit right with me. And you'll be relieved to know I've stopped begging for reviews! But enough of me. **

**Let the fanfiction begin! ****Chapter 3: Picking Up the Scent**

* * *

_". . . Your light? Don't lose sight of it."_

_--Cloud Strife_

Meanwhile, in a world about as far from Radiant Garden as possible, King Mickey Mouse sat in his throne and talked with his apprentice. "It's Kairi's eighteenth birthday today." Riku reminded Mickey. Riku was now nineteen years old, and had changed very little other than the obvious effects of aging. "You promised to let me go."

Mickey nodded. "Go ahead, Riku. I'm taking today off anyway. Just make sure you get back before nightfall."

"Don't worry about me, Your Majesty." Riku said. "You worry enough as it is."

"I know." Mickey assured his friend. "I trust you. Go and have fun, Riku, and send Sora and Kairi my regards."

"I will. I promise." Riku returned before opening a corridor of darkness and stepping inside.

* * *

When Riku arrived at Kairi's house literally a second later, he sensed that something was amiss as soon as he walked through the door. He found Sakana sitting on the living room couch, staring at the TV. This was odd, because the TV was turned off.

Riku approached Sakana carefully. "Excuse me." he said.

Sakana screamed and leaped to her feet. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Riku placed a hand on Sakana's shoulder to calm her down. It probably didn't help that he was wearing a black robe similar to those of Organization XIII. Still, he didn't really have time to play games with Kairi's foster mother. He was starting to worry about Kairi herself. "Relax, ma'am, it's only me. Riku, remember?"

Sakana seemed to calm down a little bit. "You... you're one of Kairi's friends, aren't you? One of those boys that constantly doted on her."

Riku scratched the back of his head. "Uhh... no. That was more Sora's job than mine."

"Sora!" Riku seemed to have made a mistake by mentioning Sora's name. Sakana quickly confirmed this. "That... that... _wretched_ little _animal_! Did you know was _dating_ my daughter?"

Riku raised a brow. Of _course_ he knew. He was the closest thing to a brother Kairi had, and he was Sora's best friend. Still, he decided to pretend otherwise. He might get more information that way. "_Really_?" he asked, eyes widening in false shock.

Sakana nodded. "Yes! Even though he _knew_ she was already betrothed!"

This time, Riku's question was an honest one. "To who?"

"Prince Shin'en." Sakana answered. "He's a noble of Radiant Garden, and he was betrothed to Kairi as soon as she was born. Kairi _knew_ that, but she _still_ disobeyed me by running off with that... _Sora_!"

Riku tried to hide his growing concern for his two best friends, hiding it beneath a facade of concern for Shin'en. "Surely Shin'en still _got_ her though, right?"

To Riku's horror, Sakana nodded. "He managed to get away with Kairi before Sora could take her."

Riku clenched his fist. Noticing his action, he quickly tried to relax. He hoped Sakana didn't catch him. "What about Sora? Is he still alive?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Sakana said, much to Riku's relief. Sora could take care of himself. If Riku could find Kairi, he knew Sora wouldn't be far behind.

"Where are Shin'en and Kairi now?" Riku asked.

"They were headed for Radiant Garden for the wedding." Sakana replied. "Sora ran off somewhere. Good thing he doesn't have a Gummi ship, or he might've tried to go off and kidnap Kairi."

_It's only kidnapping if she doesn't want to go_. Riku thought, but he instead asked, "Mind if I take a look around the house? I know some people that might be able to... get Kairi where she belongs. I might be able to find clues to Sora's location. The sooner he's taken care of, the less you'll have to worry about someone crashing the wedding."

"Sure. Go ahead. Search the place." Sakana grunted in consent. "If I were you, I'd start with Kairi's room. Who knows how may times Sora's snuck in there and done who knows what with my daughter!"

The darkness in Riku's heart urged him so run Sakana through with his keyblade, screaming, _They're not like that_! but the light that ruled most of Riku's heart held him back. Instead, he replied with a curt, "Thank you." and was on his way up the stairs to Kairi's room.

When Riku entered Kairi's room, nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. Kairi's window wasn't locked, but this didn't surprise Riku very much. Sora had to get in _somehow_.

Riku's eyes next hovered to Kairi's bed. In his training as Mickey's apprentice, he found that he could pick up the resonance of the auras that people's hearts emitted--'scents', he called them. These scents stayed behind long after the person had gone, and Riku had become an excellent tracker because of it.

Kairi's scent was strong all over the room, but was strongest in a certain spot on her bed. "She sat here." Riku said to himself. Sora's scent was also everywhere, but was strongest in a place right beside Kairi's strongest scent. "Sora sat here, right beside her."

Upon closer inspection, the resonance of Kairi's heart emitted waves of sadness. "She was crying." Riku reasoned. "Sora was trying to comfort her. It was working, too, until..." Riku picked up a third scent: Sakana. "Kairi's foster mother was here." Riku followed her scent and then Sora's. "Sora jumped out the window before Kairi's mom could find him."

Riku suddenly became aware of something else as he followed Sora's scent. It was a small box wrapped in bright blue paper. Riku picked the box up and read the note attached:

_TO: KAIRI_

_FROM: SOMEBODY WHO LOVES YOU_

_IN THIS BOX IS SOMETHING THAT COULD CHANGE OUR LIVES FOREVER, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'LL BE FOR THE BETTER, BUT I THINK WE'RE READY TO GIVE IT A TRY. LOVE YOU!_

Riku had to smile. That sounded just like Sora. Riku was compelled to open the box, hoping Sora and Kairi would forgive him for doing so. Inside was something not even Riku's incredible insight could have foreseen: a paopu fruit.

Riku quickly closed the box and clutched it tightly. _I think King Mickey might want to see this_. he thought. But first, he had to make sure his theory about Sora was correct. He opened a corridor of darkness and stepped inside.

* * *

Riku emerged on the children's play island, where so many of his childhood memories were made. He immediately picked up Sora's scent, as well as the scent of a person unknown. Riku followed this scent until he found the place where _My Dinghy_ had been hidden. Sure enough, it was gone. "Okay, Sora. You're where I thought you would be. Judging from your scent, you left about two hours ago. All I can do now is take this to the king and see what he does."

Riku opened one more corridor of darkness, this time leading to Disney Castle, and stepped inside.

* * *

Back in Disney Castle--more specifically, the beautiful courtyard--Mickey was talking with his queen, Minnie Mouse. "I'm off for the day, Minnie, so we can do whatever you want."

Minnie smiled at Mickey. "I barely know where to start. I haven't been able to talk to you in _ages_!"

"Whelp," Mickey shrugged, "we could always go on that vacation to Port Royal I promised you. The Caribbean is _beautiful_ this time of year."

Minnie embraced her king in a loving hug. "Oh, Mickey, it sounds perfect!"

"Great!" Mickey exclaimed. "I'll have Launchpad prime a Gummi Ship while we pack."

"Your Majesty!" Riku shouted as he appeared through a corridor of darkness.

Mickey waved at Riku. "Hi, Riku! Back from Kairi's birthday party already?"

"We have a problem." Riku answered. "A _major_ problem."

Mickey looked at Minnie sadly. She nodded in understanding. Mickey turned back to Riku. "All right, Riku. Come with me."

A few moments later, Mickey sat down in his golden throne. Riku stood in front of him, on the edge of the dais that held Mickey's throne. "What's the matter, Riku? And what are you holding?"

Riku remembered that he was still clutching the box containing Kairi's birthday gift. he handed it to the king. "It's Kairi's birthday present from Sora." Riku explained. "You might wanna take a look at it."

Mickey took the box from Riku and examined it closely. After reading the tag and opening the lid of the box, Mickey smiled warmly. "What's the trouble, Riku? Sora's doing exactly what I asked him to do. Their love is _real_, not that silly teenage stuff." Mickey had already explained to Riku all about his final instructions to Sora.

Riku shook his head. "I know, but there's a problem. Kairi's already engaged."

Mickey's eyes widened. "To who?"

"A prince named Shin'en." Riku sighed. "He came for her today."

Mickey leaned forward in his chair, nearly dropping the precious box. "Did you say _Shin'en_?"

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Do you know him, Your Majesty?"

"_Know_ him?" Mickey repeated. "_Know_ is an understatement, Riku! Shin'en was Master Yen Sid's most powerful apprentice!"

Riku was hopelessly lost. "I thought _you_ were Master Yen Sid's apprentice, Your Majesty."

Mickey nodded. "I was, but I wasn't the only one. Yen Sid always had two. Shin'en came _very_ shortly after I did. He had so much potential for good... but he threw it all away. He chose the path of darkness, Riku. He even found the _key_ to darkness."

"What?" Riku shouted.

"The key to darkness, Riku. He can force people to give in to the darkness in their hearts. He couldn't make them Heartless, but something very very close."

"Then... he could turn Kairi..."

"Thankfully, no. He can only force people to give in to the darkness that already exists in their hearts. Kairi, as a Princess of Heart, has no darkness in her heart. He has no power over her. He has very little power over people like me or Yen Sid, or any other member of Disney Castle's court. But someone like you..."

"He could turn me to the dark side completely."

"Exactly. I think that's why he wants to marry Kairi. He has no power over her heart, but he could still control her as her consort. Did he take her, Riku?"

Riku stared at the ground, trying to let the information sink in. "Riku, _did he take her_?" Mickey repeated.

Riku nodded. "He did. Two hours ago. But Sora's right on their trail. If anyone could save her, _he_ could. Right?"

Mickey sat back in his chair and shook his head. "No, Riku. That only makes things worse. Sora is bound to feel jealousy and rage toward Shin'en. If Shin'en exploited this, Sora would turn. Then all we've worked to achieve would be destroyed."

"No!" Riku shouted, clenching his fists. "I _know_ Sora! He would _never _turn! He doesn't have _that_ much darkness in his heart!"

"Doesn't he?" Mickey asked. "Sora has darkness in his heart. Even more than you do. His darkness, though, is a completely separate entity that rarely appears. But when it does, Sora has no control over it. His darkness even has its own name."

"Anti-form." Riku remembered.

"Exactly." Mickey said. "If Shin'en learned about Sora's Anti-form, he could use it to turn Sora into something he's not--a monster."

Riku understood. "So what do we do?"

"For now, there's nothing we _can_ do. If we go to warn Sora, Shin'en will surely learn of Sora's weakness. We've got to have faith that Sora can keep his shortcoming a secret."

* * *

**A/N: The plot thickens! Stay tuned for the next chapter: _Boy or Beast?_**

**And now for the responses to the lovely reviews I received: **

**Krystal Lily Potter: A little fun fact for you: the prince's name (Shin'en) is Japanese for "abyss," which I thought fit in with Kairi's name meaning "sea." Thanks for reading! I promise to update again soon! (And I loved that ending quote, too!)**

**japaneserockergirl: Thanks for the tip. I'll try to remember that. And I know I made Kairi look like a damsel in distress at first, but she won't be like that for much longer. In fact, the roles get reversed (figure that out if you can). Thanks for reading!**


	5. Boy or Beast?

**A/N: I'm back, y'all! I don't have much to say today, so I'll let you go onto the story. Reviews will be answered at the end of this chapter.**_**Chapter 4: Boy or Beast?**_

* * *

_"Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness."_

_--Xehanort_

Unfortunately for Sora, Shin'en was beginning to have an effect on him already. Just being in his presence seemed to make Anti-form stronger. _That_ was why Anti-form had emerged earlier. Sora's dealings with Shin'en were suckling his heart with darkness.

It was characteristic of Sora--though highly unfortunate--that he was completely oblivious to this.

Kuro, however, was not. He was no expert in the ways of the heart, but he knew enough. Sora's heart was being directly influenced by Shin'en and Kairi. When dealing with Shin'en in any way, his heart ever so slowly grew darker. But so much as hearing Kairi's voice brought him completely into the light again.

Kuro hoped Sora would be seeing more of Kairi.

The _Nullifier_ was completely defenseless, so it had to obey Sora's order: a nonstop flight to Radiant Garden. Oddly enough, no more fleets of Heartless had attacked. It was just _My Dinghy_ and the _Nullifier_, cruising at a leisurely pace.

At last, Radiant Garden appeared on Sora's radar, a massive bleep on the screen. The _Nullifier_'s radio was still connected to its loudspeaker system, so the entire airship heard Sora as he said, "Attention, crew and passenger of the _Nullifier_. We're approaching Radiant Garden, and will be landing in no less than six minutes. Everybody buckle up and prepare for re-entry! Especially you, Kairi, even though Shin'en probably has you strapped in pretty tight already."

Sure enough, in six minutes, the _Nullifier_ and its forced escort docked in an enormous hangar in Radiant Garden. "Funny. I don't remember that being there." Sora noted.

"Radiant Garden has changed quite a bit in three years, Sora." Kuro said grimly. "You might find it a less friendly place than when you left."

As _My Dinghy_ came to a complete stop, Sora opened the entrance and cut off the ship's ignition. "I'm going out. You coming?"

Kuro shook his head. "No. The longer I can maintain the appearance of a guard, the better. I'll sneak out later when no one's around. I need to make a report to the Restoration Committee anyway."

"Want me to leave the ship on?" Sora asked.

Kuro shook his head and chuckled. "Thanks for offering, but I think an empty ship with the engine still running is pretty suspicious."

Sora had to agree. "All right. Good luck, Kuro." he said before leaving _My Dinghy_ and stepping outside.

Kuro sat back in his chair as the entrance to the ship closed. "Heh heh. He's a nice kid. I just hope his heart stays strong."

Sora made the unhappy mistake of stepping outside at the exact same time Shin'en did. That made Sora mad. What angered Sora further was what Shin'en had done to Kairi. Kairi had a shackle on her left wrist, with Shin'en holding the other end. Her eyes reflected that she was both overjoyed and forlorn at the same time. "Sora!" she cried as she tried to run to her lover, but her bonds held her back.

Sora felt rage bubbling within him. "Let her go, Shin'en." he hissed. His voice sounded just a little less than human.

Shin'en smiled that arrogant smile that made Anti-form _beg_ to come out, and made Sora wish _desperately_ to allow it to do so. Shin'en's voice didn't help much. "I don't think so, Sora. You specifically said that we could be enemies as soon as we left the ship. So I believe I'll just be taking Kairi with me. Goodbye, Sora. May we meet again in the next life."

Suddenly, Sora found at least a hundred red dots trained on his body. He was being _sniped_. Sora looked up and found several Nobodies called Snipers floating along the walls, their laser crossbows aimed at his head.

Sora clenched his fists. "You dirty--AAAAAAAAAHHH!" Sora clutched his head, unable to control his darker half anymore. His anger, combined with standing in Shin'en's presence, gave the darkness in Sora's heart renewed strength. Suddenly, Sora's struggles ceased as his eyes turned into yellow globes and his body blackened.

Anti-form was back.

Anti-form leaped high into the air just as a hundred laser blasts shot at his head. having easily evaded the Snipers' attack, Anti-form began to run along the walls, slicing any Sniper it came across to ribbons with its sharp tentacles. It moved far too fast for the Nobodies to follow, and the entire room was cleared of Snipers in a period of three seconds.

After the last Sniper faded from existence, Anti-form landed in front of Shin'en and hissed loudly.

Kairi was close to tears. She had seen Sora as a Heartless once before, but she had never seen Anti-form. It frightened her to see her only love acting like an animal, consumed by darkness. She wished more than anything to run to his side and kiss him (a simple hug had been enough last time, so maybe it would work) but Shin'en held tightly to her chain.

Shin'en seemed amused. "Well, what do we have here? The Keybearer consumed by darkness? It's so pathetic it's almost amusing." Shin'en bore no fear, and with good reason. Anti-form only sat there, staring at him with its glowing yellow eyes. Shin'en's heart was far too dark and powerful to fear a pseudo-Heartless. It was quite the opposite, in fact.

Shin'en walked over to Anti-form and touched its chest, right where its tainted heart was. He whispered into its ear, "Open your heart to darkness," then released it. he took a few steps back and opened a corridor of darkness. "Come, Kairi." he barked, tugging Kairi's chains and forcing her to step through the portal.

At this precise moment, Anti-form reverted to Sora, who clutched his head and moaned, "What happened?" Suddenly, Sora remembered. He leaped to his feet. "Kairi!" he yelled.

But Kairi was long gone.

* * *

Kuro heard the sounds of scuffle cease outside. Deeming it safe to come out, he quickly lowered _My Dinghy_'s ramp and left the ship. He was surprised to find Sora still standing in the hangar, clutching his head. "Sora?" he addressed his companion, "What are you still doing here?"

"I don't know." Sora said. There was just the slightest inflection of anger in his voice, but Kuro attributed this to the fact that Kairi was gone.

"Where is Kairi?" Kuro asked.

Sora shook his head. His tone was the same: mostly Sora, but just the slightest menacing undertone. "I don't know. one minute Kairi was right here with Shin'en, then I... Anti-form! I changed into Anti-form and fought off an ambush of Nobodies! But when I wanted to attack Shin'en and rescue Kairi, I couldn't move! Then Shin'en touched my heart and whispered, 'Open your heart to darkness,' then he and Kairi went through a corridor of darkness! That's when I got control again." Sora clutched his head again and screamed, "They're gone, and all because I lost control!"

Kuro placed a reassuring hand on Sora's shoulder. "Calm down, Sora. What's done is done. There's no need to beat yourself up for it. We have a princess to save, remember?"

Sora glared at Kuro sharply and leaped away. "I know that! Don't talk to me like I'm a little kid!" Was it Kuro's imagination, or was Sora behaving just a little more... aggressively?

Kuro raised his hands defensively. "Take it easy, Sora. No need to get defensive. Come on. The wedding won't take place for a few hours at least, so we need to take this opportunity to get help. Nobody can take on Shin'en alone. Not even you. Besides, the Committee will want to hear a full report." Kuro put just enough emphasis on _full_ to get his point across. He was going to tell them about Anti-form.

Sora slumped his shoulders. His voice still contained that angry inflection, but it lessened a bit. "You're right, Kuro. I'm sorry. I guess I'm still a little on edge."

Kuro smiled. "Don't worry about it. Anyone would be upset in your position. Let's just get to Merlin's house before it's too late."

Sora nodded in agreement. "Let's go."

* * *

Shin'en dragged Kairi into the palace and up to her old room--the room she had slept in before she was sent to Destiny Islands. The room had been remodeled to fill the needs of an eighteen-year-old as opposed to a four-year-old, but remained largely the same as she remembered it: empty and dark.

Shin'en unlocked Kairi's chains, but quickly threw her onto her bed. "You'll be staying in here until our wedding, _princess_." he scowled.

"Why are you doing this?" Kairi pleaded. "You can _have_ the kingdom! I never even _wanted _it! All I want is to go back to the islands with Sora!"

Shin'en rolled his eyes. "I'm afraid it doesn't _work_ that way, Kairi. I have no rights to the kingdom at all unless I marry you. And having a Princess of Heart under my control could prove useful in the future. Besides, I don't think you'd like to see Sora anymore. He's not himself, you know."

Kairi leaped from the bed. "What are you talking about, you monster?"

"_Sora_ is the monster, Kairi!" Shin'en retorted. "You _saw_ him transform into that _beast_! I'm lucky to be alive! I know it sounds difficult to believe, but I'm _protecting_ you. From _him_."

"No!" Kairi screamed. "He can fight it! He's fought it before! If you'd have just let me go to him, he'd be perfectly fine right now!"

"No, _you_ would be a creature of darkness, just like he is. I need your heart to be _pure_ for my plan to succeed. Now at least _try_ to get some sleep. I want you looking your best when our wedding arrives."

Before Kairi could issue a response, Shin'en left the room and locked the door behind him. Kairi collapsed onto the bed, tears falling from her face. Only one thought echoed through her mind: _Sora, please come back_.

* * *

Kuro led Sora to Merlin's house, although Sora easily recollected its location. As Sora followed Kuro through the door of Merlin's house, Sora was instantly greeted by many familiar faces. Leon stood in a corner, leaning against the wall. Cloud was doing the same on the opposite wall. Tifa, Yuffie, and Aerith were crowded around a computer, where Cid was looking something up in the database. Merlin was reading one of his books.

Merlin, despite being preoccupied with the book, was the first one to speak. "Hello, Kuro. I see you brought a friend."

When they heard Merlin speaking, everyone else in the tiny house turned to look at Sora. "Hi, Sora!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"Hey." Leon and Cloud greeted without moving.

"We missed you." Aerith stated.

"Where've you been the past three years?" Cid asked, turning his chair to face Sora. "It's been boring up here."

"Hi, guys." Sora returned. "Sorry I've not visited lately. The king gave me an extra special mission, and I've gotta stick to it. I was hoping you could help me, actually."

Tifa instantly seemed to understand. "It's about Kairi, isn't it?" she asked.

Sora nodded sadly. Kuro approached Tifa and whispered, "I think it might be best to avoid this subject for now."

"What for?" Tifa asked.

"I'll explain in my report." Kuro answered.

Aerith, who was right next to Tifa and thus heard Kuro's words, instantly turned to Sora with a warm smile on her face. "Sora, I'm sure you must be tired. Why don't you let Kuro explain the situation to us while Merlin finds you a room?"

Sora, though a little confused, agreed immediately. He _was_ tired, and he needed to be in top form if he was going to save Kairi. A door that Sora had never seen before opened up in Merlin's house. Beyond it was a perfect replica of his own bedroom back on the islands. "This is my Room of Requirement, you know." Merlin pointed out. "It only appears when someone needs it, and it is always equipped with whatever that someone needs. And right now I think you need some rest."

Merlin pushed Sora through the door, shutting it behind him. The door disappeared and Merlin went back to join the others.

"All right, Kuro." Leon said, walking to the center of the room. "What do you have for us?"

"Yeah, did he pass the test?" Yuffie interjected.

"The test isn't over, remember?" Tifa reminded her.

"Oh yeah." Yuffie shrugged. "But is he _passing_?"

Kuro shook his head and folded his hands. "I don't know."

"Whatta ya mean ya don't know?" Cid asked. "Is he meetin' the requirements we gave 'im?"

Kuro nodded. "He is, but he's not done it in the way we expected."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cloud demanded.

"He's fought people and Nobodies hand-to-hand, but I've never once seen him use his keyblade."

Merlin and Aerith shot each other nervous glances, but it was Cid who spoke up. "What's he been usin'? His kung-fu?"

Kuro, as usual, was all business and did not acknowledge Cid's sarcasm. "No. He's been transforming into a Heartless-like being and using the powers of that being to fight with."

"Anti-form?" Leon asked, much to everyone's surprise.

"What's that?" Yuffie piped.

"Anti-form." Leon answered. "It was created when Sora turned himself into a Heartless. It represents everything dark in Sora's heart. It comes out whenever Sora gets too angry or scared for him to control himself. I saw it once during the Battle of the Thousand Heartless. It's more powerful than anything I've ever seen, but it has the same instincts that Heartless do. If It's coming out as much as you say, then something serious is going on."

"That's just great, but what are we gonna _do_ about it?" Tifa snapped. "We can't just keep him in there! He has too much to live for! Has everybody forgotten what _day_ it is?" The entire Committee knew that today was Kairi's wedding, and everyone hoped that a certain keyblade master would be able to crash it.

"No." Aerith assured her. "Nobody forgot. But if we let Sora out too soon, he might end up _hurting_ somebody. Maybe it's better if he stays in there for a little while."

"Listen to us!" Yuffie practically screamed. "We're talking about Sora like he's some kind of _monster_! He's just a boy!"

The room got quiet.

"There may be a way to save Sora and Kairi at the same time." Merlin suggested.

"Well let's hear it, old-timer!" Cid retorted.

Merlin seemed a bit peeved by this remark, but quickly let it go. "As I was _going_ to say, Anti-form might not attack someone he loves. His heart and Kairi's _are_ connected, you know. If we could get Anti-form to come into contact with Kairi, perhaps their bond will serve as a beacon out of Sora's darkness. Perhaps Kairi's love could _cure_ Sora. Of course, we would have to coax Anti-form out first."

"That won't be too hard." Kuro said. "He changes every time he comes close to Shin'en."

Leon raised an eyebrow, causing the scar running across the bridge of his nose to tighten. "Do you have any idea what you're all suggesting? You're willing to risk several lives on a hunch?"

"Pretty much." Cloud stated.

"Works for me." Leon chuckled. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do..."

* * *

Sora awoke from his nap at five o'clock in the afternoon. Yuffie was shaking him as hard as she could in an attempt to get his attention. "Good grief, Sora! Kairi was right! You're the laziest bum in the worlds!"

Sora instantly sat up, shaking off his drowsiness. "What happened?"

"Not much." Yuffie said sarcastically. "You just fell asleep for hours while your girlfriend is two hours away from marrying the biggest jerk on the planet."

Sora leaped out of bed and hastily threw his clothes on. "Crud! I forgot all about Kairi!"

"Slow down, Sora!" Yuffie shouted. "The wedding isn't for another two hours. Everybody's gotta go early, since the Committee is in temporary control of the government. Kuro's staying here to help get you into shape before you guys go to crash the party."

Sora nodded. "Okay. I'll see you guys later." He was about to rush out of the room, but Yuffie told him to stay. She walked out of the room, leaving Sora to wonder just what was going on.

Kuro walked in the door a few minutes later, his gunblade drawn. "Come on, Sora." he said. "Let's play."

Sora looked around the room in wonder as it changed from a replica of his room to a large arena. It _was_ the Room of Requirement, and Sora apparently required a training area. He looked at Kuro in confusion. "Come on, Sora." Kuro urged him. "Don't tell me you forgot how to play."

Sora summoned his keyblade (Oblivion) and aimed it at Kuro. "I had you begging for your life last time."

"That was Anti-form." Kuro argued. "Let's see if you have me begging without it."

Without another word, Sora leaped at Kuro and aimed a powerful chop at his midsection. Kuro swung his own blade as it met Sora's, shunting it aside. "Take it easy, boy." Kuro warned. "We're not _trying_ to kill each other."

"Oh. Right." Sora sighed sheepishly. "I don't know what came over me."

Kuro smiled. "Just have fun with it, boy."

Sora pounced again, causing Kuro to step back in shock. Sora swung his keyblade hard at Kuro's head. If Kuro hadn't been as strong as he was, he would have been unsuccessful in blocking the attack, and very well could have died. Before he could reflect on this point, however, he had to block a sweep to his legs, quickly followed by a jab to his heart. Kuro had to use all his strength just to stay alive! "Sora, what part of 'friendly match' do you not understand?" Kuro asked as Sora aimed a chop at his head.

Sora didn't answer. He just kept up the offensive. Kuro blocked and parried as best he could, but Sora was just too strong, too fast, too... _predatory_. "Sora!" Kuro practically screamed as he shunted a blow Sora aimed at his midsection. "What are you doing? Is Anti-form taking control again? Fight it, Sora!"

Sora stopped in his tracks. "I'm sorry... did I hurt you?"

"No." Kuro replied, his eyes wide in shock behind his sunglasses. "But if I didn't yell loud enough, you might've. I've never seen anyone fight that way before."

"Maybe we should take a break." Sora offered.

"I agree." Kuro answered. "I'll tell you what. You rest some more, and I'll try to secure everything we need before we crash the wedding. I'll come and get you at about six thirty."

"Whatever works for you." Sora sighed as the room again changed into a replica of his own. "I don't know what's happening to me, Kuro. I feel so sick inside, I could puke... but at the same time, I feel stronger than ever. Is something wrong with me?"

"No." Kuro said with a smile, though he was lying through his teeth. "You're just concerned about Kairi. Now get some rest. I'll be back later."

Sora reclined on his bed and stared at the ceiling. "Sure."

* * *

**A/N: YAAAAAY! Another chapter posted! And yes, I know the Room of Requirement is a Harry Potter thing. I don't own that either. At any rate, I got two lovely reviews I'd like to respond to (I technically got three, but two were from the same person) and here they are:**

**Shire Folk: Thanks! Yes, I know I rushed the beginning, but I really wanted to focus more on the story at hand. I might go back and redo that chapter later, but don't look for that until after this story is finished, at least. **

**The Key of Hope: You reviewed! I'm so proud! Glad you like it so far, and I hope I can keep you entertained. **

**Stay tuned for more!**


	6. Wedding Crashers

**A/N: Hello! Three chapters in one day! Cool, eh? And cooler still... you're about 1/3 of the way through this story. This chapter is a little on the long side (a contrast to Chapter 3) but I couldn't figure out where else to stop.**

**Hope you love it!**

Chapter 5: Wedding Crashers

"_Open your heart_! _Surrender it to darkness_! _Become darkness itself_!"

_--Riku_

The time was 6:30 p.m. Half an hour until Kairi's wedding. Sora's wrists were bound behind his back and Kuro was leading him toward the palace. Sora was fidgeting with his bonds. "Jeez, Kuro, you think you could get these any tighter? My wrists are killing me!"

"Loose handcuffs would look too suspicious." Kuro replied. "Besides, I knew you'd get squirmy."

"I don't see how getting landed in prison is gonna help Kairi, anyway." Sora grumbled.

"I told you you're not going to prison." Kuro stated. "We're just making it _look_ like you are so we can get into the palace. Besides, we're doing this for _you_. I'm a guard. I already _have_ clearance. And if you keep complaining, I'll leave you at the front gate and rescue Kairi on my own."

"I'll be good." Sora promised.

"Good." Kuro grunted. "'Cause we're almost there. Now I want you to look hurt."

Sora tried his best, but he couldn't keep a straight face. "I'm sorry, Kuro. I can't."

Kuro did not reply verbally, but jabbed Sora in the stomach with his elbow. Sora was now _truly_ hurt, so it was easy for him to look like a prisoner now. Kuro shoved him toward the palace gates, where one guard was on duty. The guard was lean, and didn't look very experienced. "Stop right there!" he barked. "Where you think you're goin'?"

Kuro, who dwarfed the guard, flashed his identification badge and retorted, "Where does it _look_ like I'm going? Scrawny here has a date with the castle dungeon."

The guard suddenly grew more respectful, since Kuro was one of the senior guards. "I'll alert Shin'en immediately." the guard said automatically.

Kuro's expression remained cold and detached. "You rookies have a need to tell Shin'en about _everything_. Do you really think Shin'en wants to be bothered with a scrounger like _him_? Especially on his wedding day?"

The guard just shook his head. Kuro looked him right in the eye with those intimidating glasses and said, "So why don't you open the door and let _me_ take care of it, _rookie_?"

The guard only nodded and allowed Kuro to pass. Kuro dragged Sora along behind him. As soon as the guard was safely out of earshot, Sora whispered, "Do you really think I'm scrawny?"

Kuro rolled his eyes and replied, "After you whooped my butt twice in one day, I don't think I have the right to call you scrawny."

"Where did you learn to be so scary?" Sora asked.

"I was in the royal guard for four years before I joined the Restoration Committee." Kuro answered. "In fact, if I remember the story right, I joined the guards pretty quick after you killed Xehanort's Heartless."

"Wow. I gotta take lessons sometime." Sora mused. Suddenly, he grew solemn--about as solemn as he got, anyway. "Hey, Kuro... what if Anti-form comes out while we're in there? What if I hurt people? What if I hurt _Kairi_? I don't think I'll ever forgive myself if anything happens to her."

Kuro gave Sora his most reassuring smile. "You'll be all right, Sora. The entire Committee will be there in case anything goes wrong." _Like we planned it to_. Kuro added silently, but he could not tell Sora. He might not like the plan. He might get angry.

They wouldn't like him when he was angry.

Instead, Kuro decided to remain silent as he led his 'prisoner' into the palace. At least until they reached the castle bailey. "Oh no," Sora groaned as he saw the endless white wave that stretched on before them.

The bailey was filled to the brim with Dusks.

Kuro sighed and drew his gunblade. "Looks like we've got a scrap on our hands."

Sora summoned the Oblivion keyblade and laughed, not his usual laughter, but a menacing, wicked laugh. "And this time, I can cut _loose_!"

Kuro stared after Sora as the youth charged into battle, but could only shrug and try to fight his way through the mob of Dusks.

* * *

"Come on, Kairi! Cheer up!"

Yuffie, Aerith, and Tifa were staying with Kairi until it was time for the ceremony, which would be in another twenty-five minutes. Kairi was still wearing that _horrid_ dress her foster mother had forced her to wear, and she was still shedding tears. _Cheer up_, Yuffie had told her. How could she cheer up when she was about to marry the most despicable man in the worlds, and her first and only love was nowhere in sight?

Tifa placed a reassuring hand on Kairi's back. It was amazing how those gentle hands were powerful enough to topple a wall with a single punch. "What Yuffie's _trying_ to say," she told Kairi, "is that Sora's coming for you."

Kairi didn't dare get her hopes up. "What makes you so sure?" she asked skeptically, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Because," Aerith said, wiping the tear away, "we saw him."

Kairi's eyes widened and her tears instantly dried. "What? How did he seem to you? Was he... y'know... _himself_?"

"Yup!" Yuffie answered. "He came by a few hours ago, looking for you. He's been napping since then!"

"_Yuffie_!" Tifa hissed.

"Well he _has_!" Yuffie retorted.

"It's okay." Kairi told them both. "I know why. It's because of that thing he turned into, isn't it?"

Aerith nodded. "Yes. He's struggling, but we think he'll be okay."

"He better be!" Yuffie whined. "This test is taking _forever_! I hate tests!"

"Shut up, Yuffie!" Tifa snapped.

"What test?" Kairi asked.

Yuffie slapped her forehead, then replied, "Uhh... what test?"

"Yuffie, don't play dumb!" Kairi insisted.

Aerith shrugged. "I guess she'd have found out eventually."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Am I the _only _one who can keep a secret around here?" She looked Kairi in the eyes and said, "Okay, Kairi. I know this might sound a little weird to you... but you _do_ have to marry someone. Radiant Garden needs a king."

Kairi stared at the ground, but Tifa brought her gaze back to face her. "No, it's not what you think. You have to marry _someone_. That someone doesn't have to be Shin'en. We don't _want_ it to be Shin'en. We were thinking about a keyblade master with spiky brown hair." At this last part, Tifa gave Kairi a knowing smile.

Kairi's face lit up. "Sora?"

"Yup." Tifa nodded. "This whole thing with Shin'en is just a test. _When_ Sora passes, he can marry you and become the king of Radiant Garden. And Anti-form will be gone."

"Anti-form?" Kairi repeated. "Is that what Sora turned into?"

"Yes." Aerith answered. "His heart is being slowly turned into darkness. But I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"Why not?" Kairi asked.

"Because," Aerith told her, "you're his light."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Is Kairi ready yet?" demanded Leon's voice. He sounded angry.

"Why?" Yuffie asked.

"I tried to get him to wait, but Shin'en _insists_ on starting the wedding _now_. And I don't have the power to stop him."

"What if she's _not_ ready?" Tifa questioned.

A thump was heard on the door, which sounded like Leon banging his head against it. "He said in that case, he'd come in there and _make_ her ready."

"All right, tell him she's on her way." Tifa sighed. "I'll try to get a hold of Kuro and Sora."

Leon seemed to be in a slightly better mood. "Great. We'll try and stall as much as we can, but I don't know how much we can do. In the meantime, Kairi needs to get out here before Shin'en has a temper tantrum."

Tifa turned to Kairi. "Go on. I promise Sora'll be here before the ceremony is over."

Kairi reluctantly nodded and walked out the door with Leon. After the door was shut, Tifa whipped out her cell phone and hit a button. After two rings, Kuro finally picked up. _"Hello_?"

"Where are you?" Tifa asked.

"_The bailey_. _The place is crawling with Nobodies_." Kuro answered "_Why_?"

"You and Sora better get your butts down here fast!" Tifa shouted. "Shin'en decided to kick off the wedding early!"

Tifa heard Kuro cursing under his breath before saying, "_Fine. We'll be down there as soon as we can_._ Try to stall for us_."

"Leon's already on that." Tifa assured him. "But it won't last long. You might have to actually get off your lazy butts and run."

"_What do you think we're doing now_?" Kuro retorted. "_We're doing the best we can_. _Calm down_, _all right_? _I gotta go_. _Bye_."

Kuro hung up before Tifa could say another word. She shoved the phone back into her pocket. "Well?" Yuffie immediately said. "What did Kuro say?"

"They're in the bailey." Tifa sighed. "So we can forget about them making it before the wedding starts."

"That sucks." Yuffie muttered.

"Well, we'd better get downstairs." Aerith decided. "Cloud and Leon might need some help."

Tifa nodded. "All right. But Kuro and Sora better get here fast. I don't know how much more Kairi's heart can take."

* * *

Only a few minutes later, the wedding procession was already underway. Needless to say, Leon and Cloud had been able to do very little to stall Shin'en. The prince was a veritable monster, but he always knew exactly what he wanted and exactly how to go about it.

The castle's foyer, where the wedding was to take place, was brightly lit and filled with people, most of whom Kairi had never seen before. She stood in the very front of the room, with Shin'en standing right beside her. Cloud, Leon, Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie were off to the side, watching the proceedings with large frowns on their faces. A man bent over with age (and probably on Shin'en's payroll) stood before Kairi and her fiancé, thumbing through a very large book.

Kairi's heart was broken, but her eyes were dry. She _forced_ herself to stay strong. Sora would want that. _If only he were here_. Kairi thought as the aged man with the book began to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to witness the joining of two hearts in holy matrimony."

Kairi shut her eyes, trying to imagine herself somewhere completely different. She tried to remember Sora, and the countless experiences they had shared together. She had just immersed herself into one of these memories when the voice of the old man shattered her dream with his softly spoken words.

"This union not only signifies the union of two hearts, but of a kingdom that has long been torn by civil war. Princess Kairi, the only child of the late King Ansem the Wise, shall finally take a husband, and Radiant Garden shall have its monarchs at last. If there is anyone present with reason why Prince Shin'en should not marry Princess Kairi, please speak now or forever hold your peace."

Kairi glanced toward Leon and the others, hoping for them to speak. Surely _Tifa_ would say something, or _Yuffie_, or even _Leon_. But no. They only stared at the ground. Why did no one speak? Was this another part of Sora's big test? If Sora did not arrive, would she be doomed to marry this wicked man that _reeked_ of evil? Even as she thought this, the old man continued with the ceremony.

"No one has spoken. Now, Prince Shin'en, do you take Princess Kairi to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, as long as you both shall live?"

A sinister smirk formed on Shin'en's face as he answered, "I do."

The old man turned to Kairi. Kairi felt a twinge of fear, for she knew what was about to come.

"Princess Kairi, do you take Prince Shin'en to be your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, as long as you both shall live?"

Kairi froze. She wanted so desperately to refuse, to say no, to say _something_, but she felt her own fear clenching her mouth shut. She looked in the direction of her friends once more, a pleading look in her eyes, but Leon only shook his head. None of the others even looked at her.

Shin'en took advantage of her hesitation. "Reverend, I believe she is too stunned to speak. Perhaps it would be best if you pronounced us now. After all, we have the kingdom to consider."

"Quite right." the aged man concurred. "I now pronounce you man and wife, king and queen of all Radiant Garden. Bring forth the rings."

Kairi could no longer move. She struggled to even breathe. Seven words, spoken in hardly more than a whisper, had crushed her heart to dust.

_I now pronounce you man and wife_.

Kairi allowed a single tear to escape her eye, despite her vow. She had expected Sora to come, or at the very _least_ for someone to stop the wedding, but those final words chimed in her head like the toll of a great iron bell.

_I now pronounce you man and wife_.

As she stood there in stunned silence, another nameless man that Kairi had never seen before brought forth a pair of rings. Shin'en placed the larger one on his finger, and he motioned for Kairi to do the same. When she drew her hand back, reluctant to don the ring, Shin'en seized her wrist and began to slip the ring onto her finger...

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

The animalistic scream was heard throughout the foyer. Sora stood in the door, a look of such hatred frozen on his face that even Shin'en backed away. Kairi's ring clattered to the floor.

"Sora!" Kairi cried as she ran to her true love. Sora tried to warn her, but it her arms were already wrapped around him. "I knew you'd come." she said.

For a moment, the bestial scowl vanished from Sora's face, but he knew it wouldn't last for long. "Kairi, I need you to run." he gasped.

"No, Sora." she replied stubbornly. "I'm done running. I have you here to protect me now."

"But Kairi," Sora pleaded, "what's gonna save you from _me_?"

Kairi didn't let go of Sora, but she looked up at him with fear. "What do you mean?"

Sora tried to fit as many words as he could in a single breath, as he was gasping frantically. "I'm a monster, Kairi. I changed while Kuro and I were fighting the Nobodies. I destroyed them all, but then I turned on Kuro. I beat him up pretty bad. He's alive, but he's hurt. I can feel the changes coming again, Kairi. Run before I kill you!"

Kairi shook her head. "No! I'm not leaving you when you need me most!"

Before Sora could object, Kairi pressed her lips against his. Sora tried to resist at first, but quickly gave in to the kiss.

A big mistake.

Kairi could feel Sora changing, but still did not stop kissing him. His hands became claws that slightly dug into her back. His teeth became fangs that nearly pierced her lips. His _tentacles_ wrapped around her and gripped her gently.

Anti-form had returned.

The kiss continued despite these changes, until Anti-form at last removed its lips from Kairi's. Kairi looked into its glowing yellow eyes. "Sora? Are you still in there?"

Anti-form did not answer. It ran its clawed hand very gently down the side of Kairi's cheek. It looked sad, almost _hurt_. Kairi placed her own hand on Anti-form's cheek. Somehow, Kairi came to a realization in her heart. Anti-form was very close to a Heartless, and had little in the way of human emotion. But it was still Sora.

It still loved her.

During this time, Shin'en had casually made his way over to where Anti-form and Kairi stood. Anti-form held Kairi close and growled at Shin'en. Shin'en took no notice. "Sora," he said, "I see you've given in to the darkness again. I also see you've come to save Kairi. But you're too late." Shin'en held up his left hand, demonstrating his ring. "She's mine."

In the blink of an eye, Anti-form released Kairi and stepped between her and Shin'en. Before Shin'en could react, Anti-form bared its fangs. Shin'en quickly drew his hand back, only to come to a sickening realization.

His ring finger was gone.

Anti-form swallowed the finger it had bitten from Shin'en's hand. It spat the wedding ring into Shin'en's face. The ring clattered to the floor, now covered in black saliva.

Obviously, Anti-form did not approve of the marriage.

Upon seeing Anti-form bite off the prince's finger and spit out his wedding ring, most of the wedding guests ran out the door as fast as they could. Leon, Cloud, Yuffie, Tifa, and Aerith remained, but kept their distance.

Shin'en tucked his wounded hand inside his robe, and snapped his fingers with the other. A troop of Berserkers appeared behind Kairi, each armed with a massive claymore. "Seize the princess! I want her alive!" Shin'en ordered the Berserkers. "Nothing else matters!" Shin'en then opened a corridor of darkness and stepped inside.

The Berserkers raised their claymores and marched toward Kairi, but were instead intercepted by...

Anti-form?

Anti-form growled at the Berserkers and lashed its tentacles at two of them. Two disappeared into darkness. A third Berserker leaped into the air, but Anti-form leaped on top of _it_ and sent it crashing into the fourth. Another Berserker tried to take advantage of this and sneak up on Kairi from behind, but Anti-form's tentacle pierced its chest before it could touch her.

At this point, the Berserkers realized that in order to capture Kairi, they had to dispose of Anti-form first.

One Berserker raised its claymore high, preparing to slam it down on Anti-form. Anti-form leaped on top of the claymore, its weight driving the claymore into the Berserker's brain. Another managed to swing its claymore at Anti-form, but Anti-form easily dodged the blow. The Berserker's momentum caused its claymore to eliminate one of its comrades. Anti-form lashed out its tentacles, grabbing the claymore and killing the final two Berserkers with it. The claymore disappeared. The battle was over, and the Nobodies had failed. But at what cost? Even though the violence was over, Anti-form did not revert as it usually did.

Kairi stared at Anti-form in shock. She didn't know what to say or do. What was there to say? Her boyfriend had rescued her from Shin'en _and_ a small swarm of Nobodies, but he had lost _himself_ in the process.

Anti-form crawled back toward Kairi on all fours. It stood up once it reached her, and it wrapped its arms around her again. Kairi still loved Sora, no matter what form he took, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. Sora might be gone. Anti-form might be all that's left. Kairi buried her face in Anti-form's chest and allowed it to kiss her head. Its lips were so _cold_, not at all like Sora's. But its grip was still strong and comforting, and for a moment she could almost pretend that it was the _real_ Sora holding her, not Anti-form.

Leon plucked up his courage and approached Anti-form. He kept his gunblade sheathed, so that _maybe_ Anti-form wouldn't perceive him as a threat. "Sora, I know you're in there somewhere. Kairi--"

"GRRRRR!" Anti-form growled before Leon could finish his sentence. It jumped between Leon and Kairi, waving its tentacles about in a threatening manner.

"Sora, _look_ at yourself!" Leon shouted. "I know you can hear me! Shin'en is _gone_! You can take control again! None of us can stand to see you like this, especially not _Kairi_!

"HRAAAAGH!" Anti-form hissed. Its tentacles lashed out at Leon, but Leon had just enough time to draw his gunblade and deflect the powerful blow.

"Enough, Sora!" Leon shouted. "Don't you see what you're doing?"

Anti-form did not listen. It raised its arms, about to strike Leon again, but a voice far less commanding than Leon's managed to penetrate its feral instincts. "Sora!"

Anti-form turned around. Kairi was looking it straight in the eye. She seemed to be angry. Anti-form could not understand why she was angry if it was doing its best to _protect_ her.

Kairi's stare did not waver. "Sora, stop! Leon is our _friend_, remember? He wants to _help_! _Please_, Sora! I know you're in there, and I need you to come out! _Please_!"

Anti-form fell on all fours and scurried behind Kairi, whining like a puppy the entire time. _Anti-form really _is_ an animal_. Kairi thought. _It's overly protective of me_, _and it whimpers whenever I yell at it_. _It's almost cute_.

Kairi turned to face the poor creature that was once her lover. "Please, Anti-form, let Sora out."

Anti-form quickly inclined its head, as though nodding, then stood up on its legs. A flicker of darkness surrounded it. Everyone in the room gasped. Kairi at first didn't believe her eyes. Anti-form had _obeyed_ her.

Sora was now standing before her.

Sora was wearing his signature smile on his face, but he looked very tired. He looked at Kairi and instantly embraced her. The lips that met Kairi's this time were warm and inviting, not at all like Anti-form. Everyone in the room, including Sora and Kairi, breathed a sigh of relief. The nightmare, for now at least, was over.

After the kiss had ended, Sora looked down at Shin'en's ring. He placed a hand on his stomach. "I don't feel too good."

Kairi laughed out of sheer relief. Despite being an animalistic creature of darkness only thirty seconds ago, Sora was already back to normal. Well... normal for _Sora_, anyway.

"Did I hurt you, Kairi?" Sora asked.

"No." Kairi answered. "You were actually _protective_ of me. You bit Shin'en's ring finger off and saved me from a whole bunch of Berserkers. You even _kissed_ me."

Sora placed his hand on Kairi's cheek. "I guess my heart is still connected to yours, even if I'm not myself."

Kairi mirrored his action. "Sora, my heart will always belong to you."

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet."

Kairi instinctively clung tighter to Sora at the sound of Shin'en's voice. Sora could feel Anti-form trying to come out again. "I have doctored my wound, but unfortunately, I cannot replace my finger." Shin'en said to all present. He then glared at Sora. "It had been my _hope_ that Anti-form would be easier to control. Alas, it seems that Kairi is Anti-form's only master. More drastic measures must be taken."

Sora let go of Kairi and stepped forward. He motioned for Kairi to stand with Leon and the others, and she obeyed. Sora stood alone in the middle of the room. "What are you talking about, Shin'en?" he demanded.

Shin'en smiled. "Sora, before today, had you ever heard of me?"

Sora nodded. "Kairi told me about you."

Shin'en didn't seem satisfied. "No one else? King Mickey, perhaps? He never once mentioned me?"

"No!" Sora shouted angrily. "Why would he?"

Shin'en shook his head. "My boy, did you think that Mickey was Yen Sid's _only_ apprentice? There were always two: a right and a left hand. Mickey Mouse, the _miracle child_, was the right hand that represented the light. Yen Sid's other apprentice, a promising lad with more power than the old crackpot ever had, was forced to be the left hand. The unimportant one. Mickey was well-liked by all, and everyone talked of how he was _destined_ to be king. Did anyone praise Yen Sid's left hand? Did anyone offer the left hand _anything_? Absolutely not. He was the outcast, completely innocent and yet branded for the rest of his life.

"The left hand eventually grew tired of the hypocrisy and lies of Yen Sid and fled from his home in search of a land that would accept him for what he was. He wandered the corridors of darkness for years until he stumbled across the obscure world of Radiant Garden. The king, a man named Ansem the Wise, welcomed the left hand and made him an honorary member of the court. The left hand was even promised the hand of Ansem's only daughter: Princess Kairi."

This was a very shocking development, especially for Sora and Kairi. "Kairi..." Sora gasped. "Kairi is the daughter of _Ansem the Wise_?"

Shin'en laughed. "Did you not know? Kairi didn't tell you?"

Sora shook his head. "No, she didn't. And wait a minute... _you_ were Yen Sid's apprentice?"

Shin'en nodded. "I was the left hand of the great Master Yen Sid. I fled from his vile corruption and conducted my magical experiments until I found the key to darkness itself."

"What?" Sora didn't know what that meant, but he knew it couldn't be good.

"I can control the darkness in people's very _hearts_." As he spoke, Shin'en raised his left hand--the one with the missing finger. "Observe."

Bolts of what looked to be electricity shot from Shin'en's hand, but they were deep purple in color. Sora summoned the Oathkeeper keyblade in an attempt to deflect the lightning. It worked... for a time.

Sora deflected the lighting, but it took all his strength. Shin'en raised his other hand and _more_ purple lightning flew at Sora. Sora's grip on his keyblade began to weaken. Shin'en moved his arms, still spewing the purple lightning, to the side. Sora's keyblade flew from his hands. The lightning flew straight into Sora's heart, paralyzing him. Leon, Cloud, Yuffie, Tifa, Aerith, and especially Kairi could only watch in horror as a sinister smirk crept across Sora's face.

Shin'en walked forward until he was about a yard away from Sora. It was only then that the lightning stopped. Sora still didn't move. "Sora," Shin'en crooned, "would you like to say anything to your friends?"

"Not particularly." Sora answered. His voice had changed. It was still Sora, but it was more hateful than ever before. "And they're _not_ my friends. I can't believe I was pathetic enough to ever say they were."

Everyone present was shocked by the remark, but Kairi was hurt the most. "What about _me_, Sora?" she pleaded.

Sora's smirk developed into a wicked grin. "How could I forget about _you_, Kairi? I consider you _more_ than a friend." He licked his lips. "A lot more."

Kairi couldn't believe what she was hearing. She turned to Shin'en. "What did you do to him?"

Shin'en shrugged. "I made Sora whole. No longer will he be torn between Anti-form and himself, for now the two are one."

"And I kind of like it." Sora added. He summoned his keyblade. It changed from Oathkeeper to a keyblade called Darkheart. It resembled the Kingdom Key, but was black with a red handle. Instead of an indent in the shape of a crown, Darkheart sported an indent in the shape of the Heartless symbol. The keychain looked exactly like the head of a Shadow type of Heartless. "Besides, look at how much cooler my keyblade is." Sora laughed. "And I know how to use it, too."

Leon, Cloud, Yuffie, and Tifa stepped in front of Kairi, their weapons drawn (or in Tifa's case, her fists poised). Aerith stayed behind, both because she had no particular wish to fight and because Kairi needed someone to comfort her. Comforting people was always what Aerith did best.

"You're not getting away with this, Shin'en." Leon stated coldly.

"My apologies." Shin'en scoffed. "I'm sorry I don't have the time to play in what would have been a most amusing farce, but I have other matters to attend to. But I wouldn't leave you alone with no one to fight. Sora, would you kindly dispose of these traitors? I would prefer Kairi alive, and so would you, but the rest of them are yours to deal with in whatever manner you see fit. Goodbye, all." With this, Shin'en opened a corridor of darkness and stepped inside.

"Well, you heard the man." Sora said. "I'm supposed to kill you. You can either surrender and hope I kill you quickly--which I won't--or you can fight me. It's your decision."

"As if you didn't know the answer already." Cloud muttered.

"We don't want to fight you, Sora," Leon told him, "but we'll do what we have to."

"You _will _try." Sora retorted.

He lunged.

Yuffie threw her giant shuriken at Sora. He whacked it aside with his keyblade and landed halfway between the center of the room and the party of heroes. Cloud rushed at him, his Buster Sword in hand. He and Sora leaped at each other and met in the air. After several attacks and parries between the two, Cloud managed to force Sora to the ground.

Tifa was waiting for him. As soon as he landed, Tifa unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks at him. Sora dodged the first few easily, and even blocked one punch with his keyblade, but Tifa eventually landed a kick on Sora's jaw. Sora was sent flying backwards. He slammed against the wall and slid down to the floor. He brought his hand to his lip.

Tifa had drawn blood.

Sora grew serious. He moved toward Tifa so fast, he almost seemed to teleport to her side. He slammed the shaft of his keyblade into her side, sending her flying toward the wall. She turned herself around and kicked off from the wall, but wouldn't reach Sora for another two seconds.

By this time, Leon was already upon him. He fired a shot or two from his gunblade, but Sora deflected these easily. He finally rushed at Sora. He moved a little slower than Cloud did, but his strikes were more powerful. Still, Sora blocked each of these without breaking a sweat. At last, he rolled backward and tripped Leon with his keyblade at the same time. He leaped into the air, ready to pierce Leon's heart, but he was intercepted by an easily identified flying object: Yuffie's shuriken.

This time, though, Yuffie was attached to it.

Yuffie hit Sora in the side with a blunt part of her shuriken, sending him backward a few yards before he landed. Unfortunately for him, he landed right where Leon was waiting. Leon swung at Sora from behind, launching the corrupted keyblade master into the air. Before Sora could react, Tifa aimed a flying kick at his ribs. Sora kicked off the wall as Tifa had done, but he was met in the air by Cloud. After another quick exchange of strikes, _Sora _managed to drive _Cloud_ to the ground. He landed hard on Cloud's wrist, sending the Buster Sword flying out of his hand. Sora kicked Cloud in the jaw as hard as he could, which resulted in the jaw being broken. Cloud was out of the fight.

Sora leaped backward and slammed straight into Yuffie. He wrested the shuriken free from her grasp and bashed her head against a wall, rendering her unconscious, then launched the shuriken at Tifa as she ran toward him. It caught her in the stomach and pinned her to the far wall.

Only Leon was still standing.

Leon took Cloud's Buster Sword in his left hand and charged at Sora (all this takes time to write down, but the fight was really happening so fast that it reached this point in about thirty seconds).

While the corrupted keyblade master and the scarred gunblade wielder fought, Kairi and Aerith watched in horror. "What happened to Sora?" Kairi asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

Aerith placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder. Her white magic dried Kairi's tears, but could not mend her broken heart. "Shin'en fused Anti-form with Sora. Maybe once we beat Shin'en, we can figure out how to get them separated again."

Kairi sighed and looked back at the fight. Sora was winning. "I hope so." she sighed doubtfully.

"Don't worry." Aerith said. "He'll find his light." With this, Aerith ran over to heal those Sora had wounded.

Meanwhile, Sora was quickly gaining ground. Leon needed both hands to deliver the powerful strikes he executed with his gunblade, but the Buster Sword kept his left hand occupied. He couldn't generate the momentum he needed. _How does Cloud fight with this thing_? he found himself thinking.

At last, Leon collapsed. Sora kicked both the gunblade and the Buster Sword away, then aimed the keyblade at his throat. "Look at that. I fought the _best_ in Radiant Garden and I beat every single one. I guess this won't be hard after all."

Kairi closed her eyes. The sound of a keyblade against flesh could be heard, but no accompanying gurgling of blood followed. "Kairi, you can open your eyes." said a voice. The voice was not Sora's, nor was it Aerith's. The voice was familiar, but Kairi had to open her eyes before she saw it to be...

* * *

**A/N: Oh no! Sora's evil! And the Restoration Committee's down for the count! And there's a mystery person! And stuff! hope you liked it, and I hope you lose sleep over this mystery character (evil laughter). **

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off!**


	7. The Path of Darkness

**A/N: Yes! I updated! No longer shall you lie awake at night wondering who this mystery character is. Here's a little flashback just in case you forgot:**

_"Kairi, you can open your eyes." said a voice. The voice was not Sora's, nor was it Aerith's. The voice was familiar, but Kairi had to open her eyes before she saw it to be..._

**And here we go!**

****

Chapter 6: The Path of Darkness

_"Sora _. . . _don't ever change_."

_--Kairi_

"Riku!"

Indeed, Riku was standing before Kairi. He was now wearing a black blindfold as well as his cloak. He exuded an air of coldness that chilled Kairi to the bone. He was no longer light or dark, Kairi realized. He was _justice_.

Kairi was happy at first to see Riku, but when she saw that he was standing over Sora, his keyblade spattered with blood, her smile faded. "What happened to Sora?"

Riku shook his head. "I did what I had to do, Kairi. He was about to kill Leon." The coldness of his aura was also present in his voice, adding the weight of absolute finality to his every word.

"Sora's not..." Kairi couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

"I didn't kill him." Riku assured her. "He's only wounded. But he'll be out for a while."

Kairi looked down at Sora's unconscious form. The scowl was no longer on his face. He looked just like his old self--except for the large gash on his back. "What are we gonna do?" she asked.

"That's yet to be decided." said a second, falsetto voice that everyone present could easily recognize.

It was King Mickey Mouse.

"What are you doing here?" Kairi asked. She should have been more respectful to the king of Disney Castle, but at the moment, she didn't care. Only Sora really mattered to her now. He was in pain, both physically and emotionally. He needed her, but she was powerless to help him. It made Kairi a little cranky.

Mickey looked up at Kairi, his eyes filled with concern and understanding. "We came as soon as we found out about Anti-form's appearances. I'm sorry about what happened to Sora. I should have known Shin'en would do this, but I thought we could hide Anti-form from him. I'd forgotten just how powerful Shin'en really is. We should have been _here_."

Kairi turned toward Sora, but quickly looked away. She couldn't bear to see that enormous slash on his back. She forced herself to look at Mickey. "What are we gonna do?"

Mickey looked at Sora also. "He must be kept safe until Shin'en can be destroyed. That should get rid of the darkness he placed in Sora's heart."

"The castle dungeon is the safest place." Leon suggested. Leon was up on his feet now, having brushed off his fight with Sora and subsequent rescue by Riku. "I have the only keys."

"Sounds like as good a place as any." Riku concurred.

Kairi couldn't believe it. They were going to lock _her_ Sora in a foul-smelling, rat-infested prison. She clenched her fists tightly in anger, but decided it best not to speak. The only words she could think of saying were the sort of words unbecoming for a Princess of Heart.

Riku seemed to notice this and placed his arm on her shoulder. "We're not trying to keep Sora _in_, we're trying to keep Shin'en _out_. It won't be long until we fix this whole mess, then you and Sora can be together again. I promise."

Kairi nodded. "Okay." she whispered.

"Riku and I will stay the night here." Mickey decided. "We should _all_ stay the night here. That way, we can keep a constant watch on Sora." Mickey drew Riku closer and whispered into his ear, "And I think we should keep an eye on Kairi, too. That gash on Sora's back is nothing compared to the wound this experience is inflicting on _her_ heart."

Riku nodded. Leon lifted Sora and began to move him to the dungeon. "Help him, Riku." Mickey told his apprentice. "I need to speak with Kairi alone."

Riku immediately went to help Leon. As soon as they had left the room, Mickey began walking up the stairs, and motioned for Kairi to follow him. Kairi fell into step beside the king, a curious expression on her face as she asked, "Why do you need to talk to _me_? And what did you tell Riku?"

Mickey shook his head. "What I told Riku doesn't matter. As for why I need to talk to you... I'm concerned about you."

"Why?" Kairi questioned.

"The burden you bear is heavier than any Princess of Heart before you has ever been forced to carry." Mickey explained. "How are you feeling?"

"As well as can be expected, considering my boyfriend just turned to the dark side and my fiancé escaped without a trace." Kairi answered. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Your Majesty... I'm not _married_ to him, am I? The cleric _did_ pronounce us, but I never--"

"No." Mickey told her. "Not yet. And I suppose you already know about the test."

"You're in on it too?" Kairi asked.

"Yup." Mickey nodded. "We all want you to be happy, Kairi. As a Princess of Heart, you deserve that. I promise that you and Sora will be together as soon as Shin'en is destroyed and Sora comes back to the light."

"_If_ he comes back." Kairi said sadly.

"I know it must be hard." Mickey said in consolation. With a smile, he added, "We'll get the old Sora back. "

"I know you will." Kairi sighed.

"Come on. Let's find you a place to sleep. I don't think you'll be wanting to stay in your old room--too many memories."

"True." Kairi nodded.

* * *

Leon and Riku threw Sora into the nearest cell they could find. Leon was about to lock the cell, but Riku stopped him. "Don't bother." he said.

"What? You're just gonna leave the cell open?" Leon asked.

"If we lock it with any conventional lock, he could just unlock it again with his keyblade." Riku answered. "I have to place a different kind of lock on it."

"Be my guest." Leon snorted.

Riku placed his hand on the lock. The lock turned purple, with thin yellow stripes like electrical circuits. "There." Riku stated once this process was completed. "This seal can be opened from the outside, but not the inside. Sora can't escape unless one of us lets him out, which we won't until we find out how to help him."

"Big talk coming from someone who slashed me in the back."

Riku kept his back turned toward the cell. He could sense the world around him with perfect clarity despite his blindfold, and did not need to turn around to see that Sora was awake. "Sora," he said, "you turned to the dark side. I did what I had to do to save Leon. You're not a murderer, Sora."

"What's the matter, Riku?" Sora hissed. "Afraid to even _look_ at me? Come on. Just turn around."

Riku complied and turned to face Sora. Sora let out a malicious laugh. "You're wearing the blindfold? I should've expected as much. You're a coward, Riku. First you sneak up on me from behind and slash me in the back, then you lock me in this cell. I bet you don't even remember how to fight anymore."

"I know what you're trying to do, Sora, and it won't work." Riku said flatly. "I'm not letting you out."

"Come on, Riku." Sora pleaded mockingly. "You were on the dark side once, too. You know you want to let me out and beat me in a fair fight."

"What I want doesn't matter." Riku said. His apprenticeship to Mickey had done wonders to clear his mind of any doubts and distractions. "What _you_ _need_ is what's really important right now. And the last thing you need is for me to give in to the darkness. That won't save you, and it won't help Kairi either. She loves you, Sora. You're breaking her heart every second you stay in darkness."

"Don't worry, I know _exactly_ what to do with Kairi." Sora replied. "Fine. If you won't let me out then there's no reason for you to stay here. Just be sure to tell Kairi I'll be seeing her real soon."

Riku stormed out of the dungeon with the air of cold finality he exuded when he was angry. Leon could only follow him, reflecting on how powerful the boy had become, both physically and mentally. He shot a final look at Sora before exiting the dungeon.

* * *

Mickey closed the door of Kairi's new room. The poor girl had collapsed from exhaustion as soon as her head hit the pillow. Mickey turned around when he heard the voice of his apprentice.

"Your Majesty!"

Mickey placed a finger to his lips. "Shhh. Kairi's asleep."

"I'm sorry," Riku whispered, "but Sora's awake."

Mickey's eyes widened. "What did he say to you? The slightest detail could be important."

Riku recounted his conversation with Sora in its entirety. At the end, he took a deep breath and stated, "And then he said, 'If you won't let me out then there's no reason for you to stay here. Just be sure to tell Kairi I'll be seeing her real soon.' That's when I came to find you."

Mickey was silent for a moment, absorbing the information. "You're sure of what you smelled down there?" he asked at last.

"There was no mistaking it." Riku answered sadly. "Sora's heart has completely surrendered to darkness."

Mickey stared at the ground for a moment, then lifted his head with an expression of determination. "Then there's no time to waste. I want you to stand guard here, Riku. I have to make a run to Disney Castle. Do _not_ let Kairi out until I get back, no matter what she says."

"But why, Your Majesty?" Riku asked.

Mickey shook his head. "There's no time to explain. Just do _not_ let Kairi out. Understand?"

Riku nodded. "I understand." He opened a corridor of darkness that led to Disney Castle. Mickey ran inside without another word. Riku pulled up a chair and sat down by the door. This promised to be a very long night.

* * *

Midnight. Kairi awoke in the middle of the night with an unexplainable urge to get to the dungeon as soon as possible. She had no idea why, but there was one thing she _did_ know.

She had to get to Sora.

Kairi slowly crept out of bed, her bare feet making no noise against the carpeted floor. She tried to open the bedroom door to discover it _locked_. Why would it be locked? Why were they trying to keep her prisoner here, when she should clearly be with Sora?

After she had struggled with the knob for a few minutes, she heard Riku's voice on the other side of the door. "It's no use, Kairi. The king wants you to stay in there until he gets back."

"Why?" she asked, sounding just a little frustrated. She _had_ to get to Sora. She didn't even know why she was so desperate to find him, but she didn't care. The thought of reaching him consumed her mind, and she could think of nothing else.

"For your protection." Riku replied. "We're trying to protect you from Sora."

How dare he say such a thing? _Protecting_ her from _Sora_? Sora was the very person she needed most. "Isn't he in the dungeon?" she asked. "I don't think he can get me from there." _Because I'm coming to him_. she added silently.

Riku sighed. "I don't know why the king wants you to stay in here, but I guarantee it's for a good reason. If you'd just stay in there tonight, everything would be better."

Kairi didn't care about King Mickey. All she cared about was finding Sora. She _had_ to find him. She _had_ to. She began to think of excuses to get Riku to open the door. "I _really_ have to go to the bathroom!"

Riku sounded unsure. "What? You have to go _now_?"

"Uh-huh." Kairi affirmed. "_Please_! I'll come right back, I promise! I just _really_ have to go!"

Riku caught the scent of darkness that indicated a lie in Kairi's voice, but he quickly shook it off. Princesses of Heart don't _lie_. He reluctantly opened the door. "All right. Better make it quick, though. If King Mickey finds out I let you out, he'll have my head."

"Thank you, Riku! I'll never forget this!" She pecked Riku on the cheek before running off to find Sora.

* * *

Sora sat in his cell with his eyes closed. He had been playing with his connection to Kairi's heart for the past several hours, trying to find a way to _use_ it. At last, he discovered that by channeling his will through their bond, he could assert feelings into Kairi's heart. He had planted within her heart the desperate desire to come and find him. As they drew closer, their bond thickened. Once she came down and met him face to face, he should be able to pull her heartstrings to make her do just about anything he wanted.

Kairi rushed into the dungeon and did not stop until she reached Sora's cell. "Sora," she whispered softly.

Sora turned around. "Oh. Hey, Kairi. You shouldn't be down here, you know."

"I had to come and see you." Kairi replied. This was exactly the answer Sora wanted to hear.

Sora tried to reach his hand through the bars, but he felt a shocking sensation as soon as he did. Riku's accursed seal was still in effect, preventing Sora from reaching the outside.

Kairi reached her hand through the bars and grasped Sora's. "Kairi," Sora whispered, "I want to be with you _so much_. Please let me out."

Unfortunately, his words seemed to bring Kairi back to her senses. "No! No, I can't! You fell to the darkness! We have to keep you in there until we can save you!"

"Kairi," Sora argued, "didn't you ever think whether I _wanted_ to be saved?"

Kairi didn't understand. "What?"

"Kairi," Sora said in a voice that was enchantingly soft, "I'm exactly the same. I'm just on a different side, that's all. Maybe it's the _right_ side."

"No! It's _not_ the right side!" Kairi shouted. "Darkness consumes people's hearts!"

"That's Mickey Mouse talking." Sora told her. His voice was still soft, almost as though he was singing Kairi a lullaby. "Use _your_ brain, Kairi. Join me. We can rule the darkness _together_."

Kairi had to fight hard to resist Sora's charms. She knew what he was doing, but that didn't make matters any easier. "If you come back to us, we can _fight_ the darkness together." she pleaded.

"What kind of a life is that, Kairi? I'll spend the rest of my life fighting Heartless, and I'll never get to _see_ you. I can _control_ the Heartless now! We'll never have to be apart again."

Never be apart again? Kairi's mouth opened, but words did not come out. She wanted to agree with everything Sora said, but her heart knew that Sora was wrong. She couldn't answer Sora, but at least she didn't give in.

Yet.

"Look at me, Kairi." Sora told the ambivalent Princess of Heart. Kairi could not resist. She looked into his deep blue eyes. They seemed twice as beautiful, twice as enticing as ever before. Kairi couldn't move. She could only listen to Sora's hypnotic voice as he told her, "You said so yourself: your heart belongs to me."

Kairi could no longer hear her heart whispering to her, telling her to do the right thing. She could only hear Sora's voice, she could only see his eyes, she could only feel her overwhelming love for him. It was true.

"My heart belongs to you." Kairi repeated in a hopeless tone. Instantly, it felt as though a great burden were lifted from her shoulders. It felt so _good_ to agree with Sora, and it made so much _sense_ that everything he said was true. She said the words again, feeling better about her decision as she did so. "My heart belongs to you."

"Yes, Kairi." Sora cooed. "You know I love you, and I'd never do anything to hurt you."

"You'd never do anything to hurt me." Kairi echoed.

"So just let me out." Sora pleaded. "Then we can rule the darkness together. No one will ever bother us again."

Sora's power over Kairi was now complete. She no longer acted as though she were in a trance, but that's exactly what she was (the more enchanted one is, the less one feels that one is enchanted at all). "Here." she whispered to Sora. "Let me see your keyblade."

Sora summoned the Darkheart keyblade. Kairi reached through the bars of Sora's cell and removed it. As a Princess of Heart, she could use a keyblade, but did not own one herself. She aimed the keyblade at the lock and released the seal.

Sora was free.

Kairi gave Sora his keyblade back. She ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Sora, take us away from this place!" she cried. "I'll go anywhere you want me to go. I want to rule the darkness with you! I love you!"

Sora caressed Kairi gently. "It's okay, Kairi. It's all over now. I'll take us somewhere where nobody, not even Mickey can find us. Then we can be together forever."

Kairi closed her eyes and lost herself in Sora's embrace. It was all she _could_ do. She could think of nothing but Sora. She could hear the sound of a corridor of darkness being opened behind them, but she didn't care. She could feel Sora pulling her inside, but she didn't care. A little way off, she could hear someone--possibly Riku--screaming for them to stop.

But she didn't care.

* * *

Riku saw Kairi in Sora's arms and knew it was too late. He had been so _stupid _to let Kairi go like that! Of _course_ Sora would manipulate her into coming to him! But now he was too late. "Stop!" he cried in vain. Kairi wasn't listening. Sora wasn't listening.

Nobody was listening.

Suddenly, the corridor of darkness closed, seemingly of its own accord, before Sora could take Kairi inside. "I believe someone told you to stop." said a high-pitched voice.

Riku looked behind him. King Mickey had returned! And Donald and Goofy were with him! "Your Majesty!" Riku exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I was weak."

Mickey raised a hand to silence him. "We'll discuss it later, Riku. Right now, Kairi is in danger of losing her heart to darkness."

Upon hearing this, Kairi clung even tighter to Sora. "The only thing I'm in danger of is losing Sora again." she said sharply.

"Kairi," Mickey entreated, "you have to listen to me. Sora is controlling your heart."

"Why would he have to control it?" Kairi asked, never letting Sora go. Sora continued to caress her back and shoulders tenderly, giving her the courage to stand up to even King Mickey. "It already belongs to him." she finished.

"It belongs to the man he was." Mickey told her. "Not the monster he's become."

Kairi's eyes widened a little as she heard this, breaking free of the spell for a moment, but Sora's powerful charms and the feel of his touch soon brought her under his control again. "_You're_ the monster, Mickey!" she cried. "You're trying to keep us apart!"

"Kairi, you're not yourself!" Mickey shouted. "Do you even hear what you're saying? The real Kairi would never give in to the darkness."

"Sora!" Donald yelled, "Come back to the light!"

"Why should I?" Sora questioned, a sinister smile on his lips. Kairi's eyes were now closed and she was perfectly relaxed, having surrendered completely to Sora's control. "Darkness is so much more profitable than light. And more fun. Besides, look at how happy I've made Kairi."

"Let her go, Sora." Mickey told him sternly. "She can't be your puppet forever."

"Sure she can." Sora countered. "It was so easy to take control of her. Now she's _mine_, and there's not a thing you can do about it."

Mickey sighed and summoned his keyblade. "Yes there is, if you let it come to that. I'm giving you a choice, Sora. You can let Kairi go or we can _take_ her from you."

"Get behind me, Kairi." Sora whispered into Kairi's ear. She complied without question. Sora's keyblade appeared in his hand. "Come on, _Your_ _Majesty_." he said mockingly. "I beat four people at once without even breaking a sweat. What makes you think you're so special?"

"Let Kairi go or you'll find out the hard way." Mickey answered.

"Show me." Sora laughed before he lunged at the king.

Mickey leaped into the air and shunted Sora's blow aside. "Riku!" the king called. "Donald Goofy! Try to help Kairi! I'll hold Sora off!"

Riku nodded and rushed past the fight, with Donald and Goofy in tow. Kairi tried to back away from them, but met a wall after only a few steps. "No!" she shouted. "You _won't_ take Sora from me again!"

Goofy approached her first. "But Kairi, we're not tryin' to take Sora away. We wanna bring him back to the light so you can be together."

"Yeah." Donald added. "We just wanna keep him locked up so he doesn't hurt anybody."

Kairi clenched her fists at the words 'locked up'. "Nice going, Donald." Riku snapped.

"I was just trying to help." Donald offered.

"Maybe it'd be best if you kept your beak shut." Riku told him. He turned back toward Kairi. "Kairi, listen to me."

Kairi backed into a corner and slumped to the ground. "No! I'm _not_ listening to you! My heart belongs to Sora!"

Riku sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. With his free hand, he removed his blindfold and cast it to the ground. He raised Kairi's face to look into his compassionate aquamarine eyes. "I know it's hard, Kairi. I know what it's like to be lost to the darkness. But we have to be strong... for Sora."

Kairi didn't answer. The light in her heart was beginning to break through the shroud Sora had placed over it. Still, Riku could tell she was struggling. He looked in Sora's direction, and Kairi did the same. Sora was holding his own against King Mickey, but at least he wasn't _winning_. "See that guy fighting the king?" Riku said. "That's not Sora. Sora would never hurt his friends; you know that. He even refused to hurt _me_ when _I_ was consumed by darkness. We want the real Sora back. But we need your help."

Kairi was still staring at Sora. Riku noticed that the scent of darkness around her was waning, but it was still there. "What do you say, Kairi?" he asked. "Can you help us get the real Sora back? The Sora you _really_ love?"

Riku placed his hand to Kairi's forehead and whispered something that seemed like gibberish to Donald and Goofy, who were watching intently. In truth, he was practicing a technique King Mickey had taught him a good while ago--he was speaking directly to Kairi's heart.

Kairi's eyelids drooped as though she were about to fall asleep. After another second, she jolted awake. She looked around for a few seconds, taking in everything that had happened. "Riku? Donald? Goofy?"

The trio nodded.

"I messed up, didn't I?" Kairi asked.

Riku shook his head. "No. Anyone in your position would've done the same thing."

"That still doesn't make it right." Kairi argued. "I'm sorry."

"Gawrsh, Kairi, you don't have to apologize to _us_." Goofy assured her. "We understand, don't we, Donald?"

"Yeah!" Donald quacked. "We're friends, remember? All for one and one for all!"

"And two for tea!" Goofy added, which made Kairi laugh. Riku smiled as well, knowing that laughter really was the best medicine for Kairi right now. Donald and Goofy should help a lot with that.

Sora didn't fail to notice what was happening. He aimed an attack at Mickey, which sent the king flying backward several feet. Before anyone could react, Sora opened a corridor of darkness and stepped inside. He was gone.

Mickey was not hurt, and immediately rushed to help Kairi. "Are you with us again, Kairi?" he asked.

Kairi nodded sadly. "Yes. But Sora... he's gone."

"Well, then." Riku said, standing up and helping Kairi to do the same. "We'll just have to go and find him."

"How are we gonna do that?" Kairi asked.

"We can take my Gummi ship." Mickey offered. "Launchpad is already waiting for us."

Donald's eyes widened. "Not Launchpad! I thought we agreed to let Chip and Dale fly the ship from now on!"

"They're on vacation." Mickey told the court magician.

"What's wrong?" Kairi asked. "Who's Launchpad?"

"He's the king's second-string pilot." Riku answered. "He's great to have in a dogfight, but that's about _all_ he can do."

"That sounds promising." Kairi said sarcastically.

"We'll manage." Mickey told everyone. "Kairi, you go and prepare yourself. I don't think you want to save the worlds in your pajamas."

Kairi blushed as she realized what she was wearing. "What about you, Your Majesty?" she asked. "I don't think you wanna wait on me to get changed before we leave."

"There's something I have to do before we go." Mickey said solemnly. "Riku, Donald, Goofy... you fellas do whatever you want."

"Aww Mickey, do ya have to ask?" Goofy questioned with a raised eyebrow. "We're comin' too."

Mickey nodded in appreciation and led the trio up the stairs. Kairi followed until they reached her room. Once she was inside and out of earshot, Donald whispered, "Where are we going, Your Majesty?"

"When Sora fell into darkness, several of his friends were hurt." Mickey answered. "I want to see them before we leave."

* * *

When Mickey, Riku, Donald, and Goofy arrived at the medical wing of the castle, what they saw astonished them. Leon, Aerith, and Cloud were standing over the bloody and broken remains of Tifa, Yuffie, and Kuro. Yuffie's skull had been cracked in several places, and she was still unconscious. Tifa was barely alive, with an enormous hole in her stomach from where Sora had pinned her to the wall. Even so, Kuro was the worst.

Kuro's arms and legs were broken. His right hand had a small hole in the palm, obviously made by one of Anti-form's tentacles. Several shards of his shattered sunglasses were lodged in his brow. His chest sported a very large slash wound in the shape of an X, so deep that his ribs were visible. Both of his arms were covered in bite marks, some of his flesh torn away.

"How bad are they?" Riku asked.

"Yuffie should make it." Cloud answered. His right arm was in a sling, but he was perfectly fine otherwise. He glanced mournfully in Tifa's direction. She was to Cloud what Kairi was to Sora: his love and his light. "We don't know about the other two."

Mickey leaped up into the air and landed gracefully on the side of Tifa's bed. He summoned his keyblade and touched it to her wound. Instantly, the wound began to heal. "She should be all right now, I think." Mickey told Cloud. "She'll be in a lot of pain when she wakes up, but she'll live."

Cloud could only stare at the ground. "Thank you." was all he could say. Mickey spotted a single tear fall from the ex-SOLDIER's eye.

Mickey immediately leaped backwards and landed on the side of Kuro's bed. "There's not much I can do for him." he sighed. "I might be able to fix his hand and his chest, but no more."

"Every bit helps." Aerith told him. "Please try."

Mickey touched his keyblade to Kuro's enormous slash on his chest. It began to heal, but it still left an X-shaped scar. He also touched the blade to Kuro's hand, which slowly began to seal up. It still bore a very nasty-looking wound. "I'm sorry." he apologized, looking in Leon's direction. "My magic can only do so much."

"That's all right."

Mickey was surprised to hear Kuro's voice. He looked down to find the badly wounded soldier wide awake, with a large smile on his cracked lips. He was very weak, and his voice reflected this, but at least he was alive. "You're doing all you can. You all are." Kuro continued.

"You're a very brave man, doing what you did." Mickey told him.

Kuro chuckled. "Everyone in my line of work has to be tough. Still, Anti-form beat me up pretty good. Is Sora all right?"

Mickey didn't have the heart to tell Kuro that Sora had turned to the dark side. "He's not changing anymore." he answered, truthfully enough.

"I don't blame him for anything." Kuro said. "Can you tell him that for me?"

Mickey nodded. "I'll do that, Kuro."

Kuro smiled, but then his wounds got the better of him and he passed out. Mickey shook his head sadly before leaping to the floor. "Leon, Cloud, Aerith... we're going to find Sora. You stay here and look after the others."

"Will do." Leon confirmed.

"Is Kairi coming with you?" Aerith asked.

Mickey stared at the floor. "She wants to go, but I don't know if I should let her. She nearly lost her heart to darkness back there. Sora can use their bond to control her heart. There's no way she'll be safe if we bring her along."

"Let her go with you." Aerith told him. "She's the key to bringing Sora back to the light."

"What makes you so sure?" Mickey asked.

"I just know." Aerith replied. "You'd better get going now."

Mickey only sighed. He was very wise, but he admitted that he knew little about the heart. He only smiled and left the room, with Riku, Donald, and Goofy in tow.

Kairi met Mickey and the others in the castle foyer, fully dressed and carrying her purse, which was full of potions and ethers for the journey. Kairi knew that she was of little use without a keyblade, and was determined to be helpful in any way she could. "Are we ready to go?" she asked.

Mickey nodded. "Come on, fellas. Let's get a move on."

* * *

When the quintet reached the Radiant Garden Gummi hangar, they found an Invincible Lv. 10 class Gummi ship docked beside _My Dinghy_. It bore its name in red letters on the nose: _Sunchaser_.

Immediately, a very large and muscular duck wearing a pilot's uniform emerged from the ship. "Hey there, King Mickey! How is everybody?"

"We have a situation, Launchpad." Mickey told the large duck. "How soon can we take off?"

"I've got the ship primed and ready for takeoff right now." Launchpad answered.

"Great. Hop aboard, everybody." Mickey instructed the others. As they entered the vessel, Launchpad shook their hands one by one. "Hey there, Donald. Hi, Goofy. Hello, Riku. And hello--" Launchpad stopped as Kairi stepped aboard the vessel. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Kairi." Kairi answered, shaking Launchpad's hand.

"Launchpad McQuack's the name." Launchpad answered. "If it has wings, I can crash it. Pleasure to meet you, Kairi. The more the merrier, I always say."

Kairi smiled, despite her worry about Launchpad's mantra, "If it has wings, I can crash it." She decided that if Mickey had faith in him, she should as well. Still, she couldn't help but think that this ride would be nothing like the ones Sora used to take her on. Why couldn't he be there now?

Riku must have sensed this as Kairi strapped herself tightly into the seat beside him. "Don't worry," he assured her, "we're in an Invincible Lv. 10 class for a reason. Its hull is so durable, Launchpad hasn't found a way to really damage it yet."

Kairi didn't feel much better as Launchpad exclaimed, "Attention all passengers! This is your captain with a very important message: hang on to your tail feathers, because _here we go_!"

The thrusters in the back of the ship ignited and the _Sunchaser_ rose into the air. All seemed to be going smoothly until the left wing of the _Sunchaser_ accidentally bumped into the wall of the hangar on its way out. There was a very large tremor throughout the ship from the impact. "Sorry!" Launchpad exclaimed. "No harm done here!"

"Just shut up and drive, Launchpad!" Donald quacked angrily.

"And _please_ try not to crash anymore." Riku added.

"Jeez, tough crowd." Launchpad sighed before the ship exited Radiant Garden's atmosphere and entered the colorful space that divided the worlds.

* * *

Sora emerged from the corridor of darkness to find himself in a completely white room. He remembered it as the Hall of Empty Melodies, where he had fought and defeated Xigbar three years before. Above, on the balcony overlooking the arena, stood Shin'en. "You really have a thing for looking down on people, don't you?" Sora asked, his keyblade in hand.

"I am up here for my own protection." Shin'en answered. "I would prefer not to lose any more fingers."

"You think a simple height difference would save you if I wanted to kill you?" With this, Sora launched himself into the air and landed neatly on his feet beside Shin'en. "Which I'm strongly considering, since you almost married Kairi."

"Kairi?" Shin'en repeated. "You can _have_ the Princess of Heart. All I wanted was for her to turn to darkness. It doesn't matter who does it, so long as it gets done. Besides, her heart already belongs to you."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "What's in it for you?"

Shin'en smirked. "There's no fooling you, Sora. I was hoping you'd do something for me."

"Like what?" Sora asked.

"I believe you'll like it." Shin'en replied. "Especially if you're as dark as I believe you to be."

* * *

**A/N: Ha ha ha ha! You were right on your third guess, Shire Folk. It was Riku! I hope I didn't disappoint. Also, as promised, this was the last chapter featuring Kairi as the damsel in distress. From here on out, she's a heroine in her own right.**

**I hope some of you recognized Launchpad McQuack from the _Duck Tales_ TV series. I always liked him, and since he's just as much of a Disney character as Donald or Scrooge McDuck, I wanted to feature him. **

**Still, some questions remain: what are Shin'en's plans for Sora? Where will our heroes begin to search for him? Why am i asking you all these questions if I'm the author? Find out in Chapter 7!**


	8. A Whole New World

**A/N: Yay! I got a new reviewer named Lost Pajama Boy! I'll respond to your review later. For now, let me begin by saying that this chapter marks the beginning of the crossover with Star Wars. Hope you all still love it!**

Chapter 7: A Whole New World

_"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different."_

_--Xehanort_

The ride in the _Sunchaser_ was quiet. There was nothing for Launchpad to crash into, but the ship still wobbled up and down and from side to side. Kairi was getting airsick. Riku had assured her that it was natural, and that even _he_ got a little nauseous the first time Launchpad flew him somewhere.

At last, Launchpad asked the question everyone had on their minds. "Uhh... King Mickey, would you happen to have a destination in mind?"

Mickey shook his head. He unfastened his seat belt and, surprisingly, was able to walk around on the turbulent ship without falling over. "Not yet. I'm going below to meditate for a while. Just do your best to keep the ship steady, Launchpad."

Everyone rolled their eyes at the concept of Launchpad trying to keep the ship steady, which would probably make the rocking worse. Nonetheless, everyone in the Gummi ship had learned a long time ago that _no one_ disagrees with Mickey Mouse. They let him go without a word.

As soon as Mickey left the room, Launchpad pointed out one of the windows. "Hey! Check out that black hole!"

Everyone looked out the window to find a swirling mass of purple with an immense hole in the center, sucking in large chunks of space debris. "Let's try not to get sucked in, huh?" Riku said with an accusing glare at Launchpad.

"Who, me? Never!" Launchpad replied, raising his hands up defensively. This, of course, caused him to let go of the flight controls. The ship bucked violently before Donald shouted, "Get your hands back on the controls!"

Launchpad did so, muttering, "Sheesh! Somebody's wound up a little too tight."

Kairi let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. _I wish Sora were here_. she found herself thinking.

* * *

Mickey had retreated down to the sleeping quarters of the relatively large ship, which contained no less than six decently large beds. Mickey sat cross-legged on the first one he came across and closed his eyes. He breathed slowly and deeply, relaxing his body and his mind as much as possible.

Soon, things began to come into his mind's eye. He saw Sora stepping through a corridor of darkness. In the very next vision, he saw a great desert world floating in the deepest recesses of space. The next scene was a vision of a large, swirling purple vortex in the middle of the space between worlds. The last vision was a face with feral yellow eyes, covered in red and black tattoos, wearing a black hood.

Mickey's eyes shot open and he ran to the cockpit as fast as he could.

When Mickey again entered the cockpit and strapped himself into his seat, the ship had just passed the black hole. "Launchpad, I want you to turn this ship around." the king ordered.

"Gee, I'd love to, King Mickey, but there's a giant black hole in the way." Launchpad argued.

"My point exactly." Mickey returned. "Sora's through there."

"Then he's a goner already!" Launchpad shouted. "Might as well go home!"

"Launchpad, I want you to drive into that black hole." Mickey ordered his second-string pilot. More gently, he added, "Trust me. This is an Invincible Lv. 10 class ship. She'll hold."

Launchpad sighed as he set course for the swirling vortex. "I trust you, King Mickey, but don't anybody look surprised when we all implode."

Kairi found her nails digging into the arms of her seat. Riku placed his black-gloved hand on her arm and said gently, "Relax. King Mickey wouldn't do this unless he knew exactly what he was doing."

Kairi took a little comfort in the words, but not much. She allowed her grip to loosen on the seat and she took a deep breath. "I hope you're right, Riku." she murmured.

The _Sunchaser_ began to pick up speed as it was sucked into the black hole's irresistible gravitational pull. Launchpad shut off the forward thrusters, but the ship didn't lose an ounce of its now rapidly increasing velocity.

By this point, the _Sunchaser_ had entered the black hole. The ship rattled and shook as it clanged against several large chunks of colorful space rock. "Gangway!" Launchpad shouted as the ship's shield generators slowly began to overheat. "Coming through!"

The whole ordeal had Kairi's stomach doing flip-flops. She glanced over to find Goofy turning a sickly shade of green. Donald quickly grabbed a small paper bag from under his seat and emptied the contents of his stomach into it. "Oooh." he groaned. "I don't feel so hot, guys." Launchpad, meanwhile, continued to shout at the barrage of space debris as it collided with the ship.

Only Riku and Mickey seemed unaffected by the tumult of the ship violently flying back and forth between collisions with space rocks. Even as the _Sunchaser_ turned upside down, hurtling deeper into the black hole like an erratic pinball, both wore only faces of powerful determination. Kairi could easily tell what they were thinking: they _would_ get through the black hole. Kairi took heart from their force of will, and found herself mimicking their thought.

They _would_ make it. For Sora.

At last, when Launchpad was sure the shields would expire, he saw a very bright light only a few hundred klicks away. He told King Mickey this.

"Hit the forward thrusters." Mickey told him. "We've got to reach the light before the shields give out."

Launchpad nodded and gunned the engines. The ship rocketed forward and into the light. _This is it_. Kairi thought, shutting her eyes. When and if they emerged from this light, the true adventure would begin. Every decision she made beyond this point would affect whether Sora came back to her or not. So many hearts hung in the balance, and only six people--if the talking mouse and dog and ducks could be called people--could make the difference between light and darkness.

* * *

When Kairi opened her eyes, she found herself looking out the window into the deep recesses of space. It was not the colorful space between the worlds she knew, but the completely black, star-spangled abyss that is the space we know. Kairi's body instantly felt weightless in the cold vacuum of this strange new space.

Launchpad hit a button, and Kairi's limbs again became heavy. "And you said the gravity simulators were a stupid idea, Donald." he chuckled.

"Shut up, Launchpad." Donald quacked.

"Where are we?" Riku questioned.

Mickey shook his head. "I don't really know, Riku. This is where my meditation led me. I think I'll go down and try to get a better feel for where we're going."

"You want me to come too, Your Majesty?" Riku offered. "My meditation technique isn't as refined as yours, but I can--"

"No, Riku." Mickey insisted. "You stay. I need to be alone for a while."

Riku nodded in understanding as he watched his master walk through the door that led to the sleeping chambers. He turned to Kairi, who was shivering slightly. "How do you feel, Kairi?" Riku asked her.

"Cold." Kairi answered. "And alone."

Riku unfastened his seatbelt, despite the continuous teetering of the ship, and removed his coat. He wrapped it around Kairi, making sure she was as warm as possible. "There," he said, "it's a little big for you, but it should keep you warm. Now what makes you feel alone?"

Kairi looked out the window. "It's just... look at it, Riku. It's so big, but it's so _empty_."

"That's not quite true." Riku assured her. "I've read about places like these. This is something called a _galaxy_. Here, the worlds are connected all the time. The stars you see, just like the stars where we're from, are actually worlds called _planets_. The king's gonna try to find which planet Sora went to. He's here; don't worry about that."

Kairi held Riku's jacket closer to her shivering body. "I'm so _worried_ about him." she whispered. "I love him _so much_."

Riku placed his hand on her back. "We'll get him back. You'll be together soon, you'll see. You're like the sister I never had, Kairi, and I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy."

Kairi could only nod and choke back her tears. "Thanks, Riku. For everything."

Riku gave Kairi a smile--not Sora's cheesy smile that she had fallen in love with, but the warm and caring smile of an older sibling. "Just keep your chin up. Sora would tell you the same thing."

Riku casually strapped himself back into his seat and watched as the first world came into view...

Suddenly, a silver vessel not much larger than the _Sunchaser_ came streaking past. "Hey, watch it, buddy!" Launchpad called to the speeding silver craft. "You're not the only ship in space, you know!"

"Calm down, Launchpad." Mickey said, returning from the sleeping quarters and taking his seat. "That planet is where we want to land."

Everyone looked out upon the planet in question. It was completely covered in what everyone assumed to be yellow sand. There were no visible bodies of water, and only a few scattered cities. "I dunno, King Mickey." Launchpad objected. "Looks kinda iffy."

"We land here." Mickey repeated. Launchpad pressed a button on the ship's navigational computer, and a map of the planet, called Tatooine, appeared in the center of the room. Mickey concentrated for a moment, then pointed to a small settlement called Mos Espa. "Land on the outskirts of this settlement, Launchpad. I don't want it to be seen. It could be looted for parts on this planet."

"Gawrsh, who would do that?" Goofy asked.

"Anyone." Mickey replied. "I've read about this galaxy in my studies. This particular planet is called Tatooine. It's a rough planet, where only the strong or the cunning survive."

"Well then," Riku said with a laugh, "Donald won't do very well."

"Hey!" Donald exclaimed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Everyone aboard laughed. Despite this, Mickey did not fail to notice that the silver ship was also landing near Mos Espa. "Launchpad," he instructed the pilot, "Make sure you land away from the other ship. It could be hostile."

"It could have _Sora_." Kairi added.

Mickey closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head. "No. I don't sense him aboard that ship. But we'll meet him soon enough. The path my heart has shown me won't fail us as long as we stick to it."

Launchpad brought the ship down for a landing. Unfortunately, the wing hit the large spire of some unknown device, sending it spiraling into the sand. Its entire nose was buried and the thrusters clogged with sand. The _Sunchaser _wasn't going _anywhere_. "Sorry." Launchpad apologized as he lowered the exit ramp. This did little good, since the ship was upside down.

"Great job, dummy." Donald grumbled. "You got us marooned."

"No problemo." Launchpad said. "The left drive's shot, but other than that we're A-okay."

Kairi immediately removed Riku's jacket. "Man, it's hot down here." she sighed.

Riku must have agreed, since he removed his gloves, which left him standing only in a black T-shirt, black jeans, and black boots. He was discouraged to find the planet had not one, but _two_ suns. "I'm gonna roast." he sighed.

Mickey removed his coat and gloves as well, leaving him with his lighter red-and-yellow clothes underneath. "Come on, fellas. Our hearts will guide us. In the meantime, we may as well explore Mos Espa."

* * *

The cloaked form of Darth Sidious sat in his private office on the planet Coruscant. Another cloaked figure, his apprentice, Darth Maul, stood beside him. "We must contact the Trade Federation immediately." Sidious hissed.

"Forgive my asking, master," Darth Maul replied, "but why?"

"I sense a great disturbance in the Force on the planet Tatooine. This could greatly affect the outcome of this blockade on Naboo." Sidious answered without even turning around. "Our plans hang in the balance, Lord Maul. We must be mindful."

"Yes, Master." Darth Maul said automatically.

Darth Sidious pressed a button on his desk, and the life-sized holograms of Viceroy Nute Gunray and Rune Haako flickered into existence. The two Neimoidians cowered in fear of the Dark Lord of the Sith. "Yes, my lord?" Nute Gunray's hologram whimpered.

"Destroy all high-ranking officials on Naboo, Viceroy." Sidious growled. "And Queen Amidala--has she signed the treaty?"

Nute looked like he was about to wet himself. "She--she has disappeared, my lord. One Naboo cruiser got past the blockade."

"Find her!" Sidious raged. "Viceroy, I want that treaty signed!"

"My lord, it's impossible to locate the ship." Nute pleaded. "It's out of our range."

"Not for a Sith Lord." Sidious reminded the viceroy. Darth Maul stepped in front of the holoscanner beside his master so that the Neimoidians could see him. "This," Sidious continued, "is my apprentice, Darth Maul. He will find your lost ship."

"Yes, my lord." Nute sniveled.

Sidious turned off the holoscanner, and the holograms of the Neimoidians winked out of existence. "What would you have me do, master?" Darth Maul asked.

"You must travel to Tatooine." Sidious told his apprentice. "I believe you'll find the queen traveling with two Jedi. Eliminate them first. Then, you shall have no trouble delivering Amidala. And be mindful of anything _unusual_. I shall expect a full report when you return."

"It will be done, master." Darth Maul bowed before departing for the distant planet of Tatooine.

* * *

Mickey, Riku, and Kairi were now trudging through the Tatooine sand, which even abounded in settlements like Mos Espa. Launchpad, Donald, and Goofy had decided to stay with the ship. The three were attention-grabbers, and that was the _last_ thing they needed.

"Be careful, everybody." Mickey told the others. "Spaceports like these are havens for people who don't want to be found."

"Like us." Kairi added.

Mickey nodded. "Everyone keep your eyes open, but don't try to attract unnecessary attention. We're here to find parts for our ship, and possibly Sora."

"We should probably go for the smaller dealerships," Riku suggested, "since that's where most Gummi blocks end up on obscure worlds like these."

It wasn't long before the little group came upon a little shop with several ship parts in the back. A rusty metal sign on the front read: WATTO'S JUNK SHOP. If they were lucky, they would be the only customers at the moment.

They were dismayed to see another ragtag group of travelers enter the dealership. This group consisted of a bearded man with long brown hair, a girl even younger than Kairi, a small, cylindrical robot that vaguely resembled a trash can, and a strange orange creature with large, floppy ears.

"We could always find another one." Kairi offered.

"No." Mickey told her. "I sense something."

"I feel it too." Riku added. "We have to go _here_. _Now_."

Kairi shrugged, not possessing the senses that Mickey and Riku had. She followed them into the dealership.

When they entered, a pudgy blue-grey creature flew up to them, its wings beating so fast all Kairi could see was a blur. It was about half as tall as Riku, but it hovered so that it was at eye level with the Keybearer. "Hi chuba da nago?" it said in a gravelly voice. Its trunklike nose moved constantly as it spoke. The creature must have been Watto.

Riku and Kairi both stared at Watto, but Mickey told it, "I need parts for an Invincible Lv. 10 class Gummi ship."

"Gummi ship?" Watto repeated, his own brow raised. "Those parts are hard to come by. You could buy yourself a Nubian ship for what a Gummi block costs nowadays."

"How much?" Mickey asked.

"How much you got?" Watto instantly countered.

Mickey checked his pockets and removed a small amount of munny. "We have 500,000 of these."

Watto inspected the munny in Mickey's hand. "What is _that_? What kind of moron do you take me for, waltzing in here with a bunch of junk?"

"We don't have anything else." Mickey said. "Can't you take it?"

Watto fluttered down and looked Mickey in the eye. "No sale. Now if you'll excuse me, I have another business transaction to make. Come back when you have some _real_ money."

Watto fluttered out the door with the bearded man and the robot they had seen walk into the shop. Mickey gestured to Riku, and they followed. Kairi was left in the junk shop.

The girl and the orange creature were also inside. The girl glanced in Kairi's direction and asked, "You're not from around here, are you?"

Kairi shook her head. "No."

"Neither are we." the girl said. "Our ship broke down out here and we're trying to find the parts to repair it. Isn't that what you're doing?"

Kairi nodded. The girl looked to be about fourteen, but she already looked like she had seen a lot in her short lifetime. From the girl's trusting attitude, Kairi thought she would have been a Princess of Heart if she hadn't been born in this strange galaxy.

"We crashed here." Kairi explained. "Now we're stranded unless we can get that blue thing to change its mind."

"He won't." said a third voice belonging to a young boy with blond hair, wearing clothes that were little more than rags. "Watto doesn't like outlanders. You won't get the parts without the money. My name's Anakin, by the way."

* * *

The bearded man and Watto had stepped outside, where several spaceship parts were scattered about. "Here it is!" the latter exclaimed. "A T-14 hyperdrive generator! You're in luck. Speaking of which, how are you going to pay for all this, eh?"

"I have 20,000 Republic dataries." said the man.

"Republic credits?" Watto repeated. "Republic credits are no good out here; I need something more real."

Mickey and Riku, who were only a few yards away, glanced at each other. This man was in the very same sticky situation they were in.

"I don't have anything else." the man replied, never so much as raising his voice. "But credits will do fine." The man waved his hand as he spoke.

"No, they won't." Watto retorted.

The man looked a little surprised, but soon calmed and waved his hand again. "Credits _will_ do fine."

"No, they _won't_. Watto repeated angrily. "What, you think you're some kinda Jedi, waving your hand around like that? I'm a Toydarian! Mind tricks don't work on me--only money." Watto rubbed his two clawed fingers together in the universal symbol for cash. "No money, no parts, no deal. And no one else has a T-14 hyperdrive, I promise you that."

The man walked away, still as calm and collected as ever. Until he stumbled upon Mickey and Riku. "Hello." the man said. "Who might you be?"

"My name is Mickey Mouse, and this is my apprentice, Riku." Mickey replied. "Are you really a Jedi?" The thought had stuck in Mickey's mind ever since Watto had brought it up. Mickey had read about the Jedi, and he practiced quite a few of their methods himself--meditation and belief in a light and dark side among them.

"I am." the man answered. "I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn." Qui-Gon gestured to the droid at his side. "This is R2-D2. I can't say I've heard of a Mickey Mouse before. What brings you to the Outer Rim?"

"Our ship broke down here." Mickey explained. "We can't afford the parts we need, so we're stuck out here."

"Then we're two of a kind." Qui-Gon replied. "You're welcome to join us. If we cooperate, I'm sure we can find a way to get off this planet. Once we reach Coruscant, we can get you and your companions a transport home."

"We appreciate that." Mickey told Qui-Gon. "There are six of us. We left three back at the ship."

"Can you contact them?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Yes." Mickey answered.

"Tell them to rendezvous at our ship." Qui-Gon instructed. "The J-type 327 Nubian on the outskirts."

After Mickey and Riku both raised their eyebrows, Qui-Gon added, "It's the silver one."

* * *

Kairi, Anakin, and the girl had been talking in the junk shop. The girl, whose name was Padmé, had already become great friends with Kairi, and it pleased them both when Qui-Gon, Mickey, and Riku emerged and Qui-Gon said, "We're taking a few extra passengers. Six, to be exact."

Padmé and Kairi both smiled . "Bye, Anakin." the former told the boy. "It was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you, too!" Anakin called back.

Kairi couldn't help but wonder about the boy. He had been friendly with her, of course, but he absolutely _worshipped_ Padmé. She had a feeling they'd be seeing the boy again, and soon.

As soon as they had reached a quiet spot, Qui-Gon withdrew a comlink from his belt. Mickey removed a cell phone from his pocket. Both of them spoke at once and very softly, so it was hard for Kairi to hear what they were saying. She heard something about there not being anything aboard the ships that would be of value, and that Launchpad, Donald, and Goofy were going to head for Qui-Gon's ship.

When both Mickey and Qui-Gon had put away their communication devices, Mickey turned to Riku. "Riku, I need you to get the others to Qui-Gon's ship as quickly as possible."

"I can use a corridor of darkness to get to our ship," Riku told his master, "but we'll have to find the other ship on foot. I might stay with them on the ship, so I can meet the people Qui-Gon travels with. Besides, people as irresponsible as Donald and Goofy need someone to watch out for them."

"That's a good idea, Riku." Mickey replied. As an afterthought, he added, "I'll watch over Kairi for you. I think she's made a friend."

Riku looked in Padmé's direction, then smiled. "I think she has, too. Bye, Your Majesty."

Riku disappeared in a corridor of darkness, which did not go unnoticed by Qui-Gon. "Your apprentice seems to be touched by the dark side." he told Mickey.

Mickey nodded. "He's using the darkness in his heart as a weapon of the light. I think you have a few Jedi like that."

Qui-Gon also nodded. "Yes, one or two. But it's a dangerous road."

"We've managed to make it work." Mickey replied. "His heart is strong."

Qui-Gon didn't answer, but instead opted to lead the party down the street. "No again!" the orange creature exclaimed. "Wesa be robbed and _crunched_!"

"Not likely." Qui-Gon told the creature. "We have nothing of value. That's our problem."

"Optimistic, isn't he?" Kairi whispered, indicating the tall, lanky orange being.

"That's Jar Jar Binks." Padmé whispered back. "Qui-Gon saved his life, so now he travels with us. He's a little clumsy, and he's _always_ a bit of a whiner."

"_Right_." Kairi shrugged. She didn't understand anything about how this galaxy worked, but she was taking it all in stride.

* * *

It wasn't long after that when they passed something like a diner, with strange froglike creatures hanging from wires. Jar Jar spied these and extended his long, prehensile tongue to grab one. It was halfway in his mouth before a monstrous creature approached him and yelled at him. Kairi didn't understand a word of the strange language the creature spoke, but she assumed it was something along the lines of, "You have to pay for that!"

Jar Jar threw his hands up defensively and released the thing in his mouth. The wire snapped back, sending the thing flying into the bowl of an even stranger alien creature. Where most beings had legs, this bizarre creature had another set of arms! It stood on one of its hands and used the other three to knock Jar Jar to the ground and pound on him. Kairi was too dumbfounded to warn the others, who were a good distance away.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice speaking in that strange language. It was Anakin! After an unpleasant exchange between the four-armed creature and the boy, the former let Jar Jar go. By this time, the others had realized what was going on and had rejoined Kairi and Jar Jar.

"Hi!" Anakin said to Padmé, ignoring the others. "Your friend was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug--an especially dangerous Dug named Sebulba."

"Nosir, nosir!" Jar Jar exclaimed. "Mesa hate crunchen. That's the last thing mesa want."

"Nevertheless, the boy is right." Qui-Gon told Jar Jar. "You were heading for trouble." The Jedi Master turned to Anakin. "Thank you, my young friend."

The group again set off. Kairi wondered if she was the only one who noticed that Anakin was now walking with them.

* * *

Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had decided not to take the main route through Mos Espa. They were likely to be noticed. Instead, they opted to go _around_ the small settlement, being careful not to attract attention. They could just make out the silver ship up ahead now. "Hey!" Launchpad shouted. "That's the ship that just about caused me to crash!"

"Then you managed to crash anyway." Donald said grumpily. He was the only one in the company not wearing shoes, and the sand scorched his broad, flat feet.

"Shut up." Riku told them both. Suddenly, the winds began to pick up and blow sand all about. "Looks like there's a sandstorm coming." Riku observed. "We'll have to hurry."

"Gawrsh, I hope Mickey and Kairi get out okay!" Goofy called over the howling winds.

"I'm sure they're fine." Riku assured his friend. "They'll find shelter somewhere and contact us later. Now come on. We have to make it to that ship before the wind _really_ picks up."

"Oh no!" Donald groaned.

* * *

Riku wasn't the only one to notice the storm. Qui-Gon, Mickey, and their companions noticed the wind picking up as well. "Uh-oh." Anakin said. "Do you have shelter?"

"We can go back to the ship." Mickey replied.

"Is it far?" Anakin asked skeptically.

"It's on the outskirts." Kairi answered.

"You'll never reach the outskirts in time!" Anakin exclaimed. "Sandstorms are very, _very_ dangerous. Come on! I'll take you to my place!"

* * *

Mickey had seen smaller dwellings than the slave hovels of Mos Espa, but not many. He and Anakin were the only ones who didn't have to duck to get in the doorway. It was a little cramped, even for him, but it was in good order. Ahead, he could hear the boy shouting, "Mom! I'm home!"

Mickey had to smile. There was something different about this boy--he could feel it in his heart. The boy had the potential for great light, but also for terrible darkness. In fact, the boy felt a lot like Riku did once. But after Shin'en had abandoned Master Yen Sid, the Rule of Two had been established: no master could have more than one apprentice at a time. He could not take on a second, no matter what he felt about the boy. Mickey looked up at Qui-Gon. The Jedi must have sensed something in the boy as well.

Mickey wondered if Qui-Gon had an apprentice already, too.

Soon, Mickey saw someone emerge who could only have been Anakin's mother. Her first words confirmed this: "Oh my! Annie, what's this?"

"These are my friends, Mom!" Anakin replied. "This is Padmé and Kairi, and--oh, I don't know the rest of your names."

"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn." Qui-Gon informed them. "This is Jar Jar Binks and Mickey Mouse."

A small _fweep_ was heard, and Padmé added, "And this is our droid, R2-D2."

"I'm building a droid!" Anakin told Padmé eagerly. "You wanna see?"

"Anakin," Anakin's mother said sternly, "why are these people here?"

"A sandstorm, Mom." Anakin told her. "Listen!"

Mickey probably heard it before anyone else did, considering how large his ears were. _I hope Riku and the others are all right_. he thought. Out loud, he said, "Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter."

Anakin's mother still didn't look any better, so while Anakin dragged Padmé and R2-D2 into the next room to see his droid, Qui-Gon produced food capsules from his belt pack. "I have enough for a meal." he said, handing them to Anakin's mother.

Her face instantly lit up as she took the capsules. "Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed. The instant relief that washed over her features told Mickey just how worried she had been about feeding her numerous houseguests. "I'm sorry." she added. "I'll never get used to Anakin's surprises."

Mickey was about to say something, but Qui-Gon beat him to it. "He is a very special boy."

The look the woman returned as both startled and wary. "Yes. I know." After this reply, she instantly set about preparing a meal. There was silence for a few moments.

Suddenly, Mickey's sensitive ears heard Qui-Gon's comlink beep. He watched as Qui-Gon answered it discreetly. Qui-Gon was cautious, so all that Mickey heard was, "Either way, we're running out of time."

That didn't sound good.

Despite Mickey's worry for not only these people, but Riku, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and the wayward Sora, he still noticed as Kairi slipped into the next room to check on Padmé and Anakin. He had to smile. _Her mind isn't dwelling on Sora_. he thought. _Not at the moment_,_ at least_. _That's good_. _She's still very young_,_ and deserves to be happy_. _Maybe her new friends can keep her occupied until we find Sora_.

* * *

Anakin's room was even smaller than the cramped living room/kitchen, but filled with almost as many knickknacks as the junk shop. At the far end was a workbench of some sort, atop which lay what appeared to be a half-finished droid.

"Isn't he great?" Anakin asked Padmé proudly. Then, less confidently, he added, "He's not finished yet."

"He's wonderful." Padmé assured him.

"What is he?" Kairi asked, just entering the room.

"He's a protocol droid, to help Mom." Anakin explained. "Watch!"

Anakin flipped a switch on the protocol droid's chest, which activated the droid. It sat up and instantly began to speak. "Oh my... who turned out the lights?"

"Oops!" Anakin exclaimed as he took a piece from the bench and stuck it into the droid's eye socket.

"Ah! Much better!" the droid exclaimed before noticing Padmé, Kairi, and R2-D2. "Hello." it told them. "I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. How may I serve you?"

"He's perfect." Padmé marveled as C-3PO walked over to R2D2 and introduced himself.

R2-D2 was whistling and chirping, which was how he communicated. "Excuse me," C-3PO asked, "but what do you mean _naked_?"

R2-D2 beeped some more. "My parts are showing!" C-3PO shouted. "Oh my!"

"When the storm passes, I'll show you my Podracer!" Anakin told the two girls. Kairi had to smile at how enthusiastic the boy was, but her smile wasn't nearly as big as Padmé's. Kairi's smile then faded. She knew the beginnings of true love when she saw it, and it only made her think of Sora--not a pleasant subject at the moment. Where was he? Would she ever find him? Would he ever return to the light? Would they ever get _married_?

She had no idea where that last one came from.

Kairi tried her best not to think about Sora as Anakin showed her and Padmé various complicated devices that Kairi hadn't even _heard_ of. Eventually, she heard Anakin's mother calling them for dinner.

**A/N: Woot! My first Star Wars-filled chapter! Hope you love it! A little shoutout to Shire Folk: I've got that movie too! We rock (gives you high-five)!**

**Now, as for YOU, mister Lost Pajama Boy, let me just say one thing: thanks for your support! And not to worry. In the previous chapter, Sora was only beginning to experiment with his new powers. He'll become far, FAR worse (evil laugh). **

**Thank you for being so nice to me, guys! Keep it up and you'll all receive a charming gift basket. Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	9. Gambles

**A/N: Hi, guys! Sorry I didn't update sooner, but I'm having a busy weekend. You know the drill by now: I'll respond to new reviews at the end of the chapter and I thank you for reading. Now let's get the show on the road!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Gambles**

_"What's gonna happen to me now_? . . . _Nothing else really matters anymore_."

_--Roxas_

At dinner, everyone did their best to sit at the small table which was clearly not designed to seat seven people. Mickey had taken the liberty of dividing what food they had into equal portions. Soon, everyone was digging in.

Qui-Gon was the first to speak. "Mickey, I'm perfectly aware that there is more to your story than a simple crash landing. Padmé tells me you were looking for Gummi ship parts. There hasn't been a Gummi ship in the galaxy since the Republic was established."

Mickey sighed. "There's no fooling you, Master Qui-Gon. My friends and I are on a search to find one of our friends who recently fell to the dark side."

Qui-Gon knew exactly what it was like to lose a friend to the dark side. His former master, Count Dooku, had recently seceded from the Jedi Order because of it. "Then it will be hard to get him back, even if you do find him. Does he have any loved ones that you know of?"

"One." Mickey replied. "And she's sitting at this table."

In spite of themselves, everyone at the table turned to look at Kairi, who sank further into her seat. "Don't be ashamed." Qui-Gon said. "It's much easier to return to the light if someone you love is already there, calling to you. I should know."

Kairi looked up at Qui-Gon. "How?"

Qui-Gon sighed as though in great pain. "Once, I nearly fell to the dark side. I had fallen in love with a fellow Jedi Master named Tahl. But when we finally confessed our love for each other... she died in my arms. The only thing I could think of was revenge against her captors. I nearly killed them, and in doing so I would have fallen, but I heard Tahl's voice telling me to stop. She saved me from the dark side. And you can save your loved one too, Kairi. But you must be strong." Qui-Gon had an urge to say, _Be mindful of the living Force_, but he stopped himself. These people were not Jedi.

Kairi felt a little more relaxed after that. "So," Padmé questioned, trying to change the subject, "what makes you think he's here?"

"I don't think he's here." Mickey stated, which surprised everyone. "Yet." he went on. "But he'll be here. I've seen it."

"Are you a Jedi?" Anakin asked Mickey, wonder in his eyes.

Mickey smiled and shook his head. "No. I'm not a Jedi, but something kinda similar."

"What are you?" Padmé found herself asking.

Mickey gestured, and his golden keyblade appeared in his hands. "I'm a Keybearer."

Qui-Gon's eyes widened ever so slightly. He had seen, only once in the Jedi archives, something about Keybearers. They were powerful keepers of the peace, similar to the Jedi in many ways, but also very different. They were all unique and powerful. And they were supposed to be extinct.

Everyone else (excluding Kairi) was bewildered. "What's a Keybearer?" Anakin queried.

Mickey let a small chuckle escape his lips. "Let's just say I'm a lot like a Jedi, but I'm not. This keyblade is like my lightsaber, and my heart is like the Force." As he said this, Mickey's keyblade disappeared.

Anakin turned to Kairi. "Is she a Keybearer, too?"

"No." Kairi answered. "But the person we're trying to find is. And so is King Mickey's apprentice, that silver-haired guy we were with."

Anakin's eyes widened and turned back toward Mickey. "_You're_ a king?"

Mickey nodded. "I am. I'm from a world so far away, it's not even in this galaxy. My friends and I--even the one we're looking for--don't belong here. We're just passing through, trying to find a way to rescue our friend and get home."

"What about you?" Kairi asked Padmé. "You said you're not from around here, either."

"I come from a planet closer to the center of the galaxy." Padmé explained. "My home is being destroyed and my queen's life is in danger. We came here to make our way back to the capital."

"Coruscant." Mickey finished for her.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Padmé comes from the planet Naboo, which is currently being blockaded by an organization of merchants called the Trade Federation. They are trying to force the queen, Amidala, to sign a treaty that will give them direct control of the planet. We must get to Coruscant so that the queen can make a plea to the senate to help her people. But before that can happen, we have to get off this planet, which we can't do until we find the money for the parts we need."

"That explains everyone's story," Kairi observed as she turned to Anakin, "except for yours."

"It's not as exciting as your stories." Anakin shrugged. "We're slaves."

"Haven't you tried to escape?" Kairi asked.

"All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere." Anakin's mother--whose name happened to be Shmi Skywalker--replied.

"I've been working on a scanner to locate mine." Anakin added.

Shmi smiled at him and continued, "Any attempt to escape--"

"And they blow you up!" Anakin finished for her. "Poof!"

"How rude." Jar Jar exclaimed, horrified. He struck Kairi as a very simple-minded creature, perhaps more so than Goofy.

Padmé suddenly piped up, "I can't believe there is still slavery in the galaxy. The Republic's antislavery laws--"

"The Republic doesn't exist out here." Shmi cut her off. "We must survive on our own."

Padmé instantly held her tongue, deeply embarrassed. After a minute or two, Anakin spoke. "Have you ever seen a Podrace?"

Most of the beings at the table shook their heads. Jar Jar, however seized the opportunity to lash out his long tongue and snatch a plum from the bowl in the middle of the table.

"They have Podracing on Malastare." Qui-Gon said. "Very fast, _very_ dangerous."

"I'm the only human who can do it." Anakin told him.

"You must have Jedi reflexes if you race Pods." Qui-Gon observed. He then demonstrated his own by snatching Jar Jar's tongue as it went for another plum. "Don't do that again." he told the orange creature before letting the tongue snap back into his mouth.

This reminded Anakin of a question he had wanted to ask. "So... didn't you say _you_ were a Jedi?"

Qui-Gon nodded, but said nothing. It wasn't something he liked to brag about.

"I had a dream I was a Jedi." Anakin went on. "I came back here and freed all the slaves." He paused for a moment, looked Qui-Gon in the eyes, and asked, "Have you come to free us?"

Qui-Gon shook his head sadly. Anakin turned helplessly to Mickey, who also shook his head. "No. I'm afraid not." the Jedi said. "You know why we're here. All of us."

"That doesn't have to be the _only_ thing you're here for." Anakin said sadly. "I can fix your ship. I can fix _anything_!"

"I believe you can." Qui-Gon said with a smile. "But our first job is to find the parts we need."

"With no nutten mula to trade." Jar Jar added.

"These junk dealers _must_ have a weakness of some kind." Padmé stated.

"Gambling." Shmi told her. "Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races."

"Podracing." Mickey said thoughtfully.

"Greed can be a powerful ally," Qui-Gon told them, "if it's used properly."

"I built a racer!" Anakin shouted. "There's a big race the day after tomorrow on Boonta Eve! You can enter my Pod! It's almost finished and--"

"Anakin, settle down." Shmi told her son. "Watto won't let you."

"He doesn't know I built it!" Anakin assured her. He turned to Mickey. "You could make him think the Pod was yours, and you could get him to let me pilot it for you--"

Shmi's face went rigid. "I don't want you to race, Annie, it's _awful_! I die every time Watto makes you do it."

Kairi stayed silent, but she couldn't help but remember Qui-Gon's words about Podracing: _very fast, _very_ dangerous_.

"But Mom, I love it!" Anakin protested. "The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need."

"Wesa in a piddy bad goo." Jar Jar added.

"Your mother's right." Mickey told Anakin firmly.

Qui-Gon took a deep breath. "Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who might be able to help us?"

Shmi shook her head slowly. "No."

"We _have_ to help them, Mom!" Anakin begged. "You said the biggest problem in the universe is nobody helps each other."

"We don't want to put your son in danger." Padmé told Shmi. "We'll find some other way."

Shmi shook her head again. "No. There _is_ no other way. I may not like it, but... he can help you. He was _meant_ to help you."

Kairi saw how dejected Shmi looked. She could imagine what her own worry would be like if she had a child about place himself in danger like that. Of course, Sora would be that child's father, and would be telling Kairi not to worry and that their child would be fine.

She mentally slapped herself for daydreaming about Sora again.

"Thank you." Kairi told Shmi with a weak smile. "We won't forget this."

* * *

Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad finally reached the silver ship. They would have reached it a while ago, but Donald had kept getting them lost in the sandstorm. Now that the sands had cleared, they found their way back easily. Riku still reminded the others to "never let Donald navigate again."

When they reached the ship, however, its only entrance was shut tight. "How are we gonna get in?" Donald asked.

"We could try knocking." Launchpad suggested.

"Good idea." Riku nodded, summoning his Way to Dawn keyblade. He rapped its blade lightly against the ship's hull.

The exit ramp opened and a young man clad in a brown robe emerged. When he saw the keyblade in Riku's hand, his eyes widened. He quickly regained his composure and said, "You must be the passengers Qui-Gon told me about."

Riku nodded and his keyblade disappeared. "We are. My name's Riku. This is Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad."

The man extended his hand. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. You'd better come inside. These desert nights can be brutal."

Riku shook Obi-Wan's hand and stepped aboard the vessel, with his friends in tow.

* * *

The following morning, Mickey, Qui-Gon, Padmé, and Kairi headed for the junk shop again. "Are you two sure about this?" Padmé asked. "Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know?"

Qui-Gon ignored her, and Mickey only shot her a glance that clearly said, _Have faith_.

"The queen will not approve." Padmé stated, as if that settled the matter then and there.

"The queen doesn't need to know." Qui-Gon replied without turning around.

Padmé realized that the argument wasn't over and dropped onto a metal barrel just outside the junk shop. "Well, _I_ don't approve." she fumed.

Kairi sat down onto an adjacent barrel. "If King Mickey and Master Qui-Gon think he can do it, then he can do it. They wouldn't bet everything on one boy unless they had a good reason."

"Somehow, I don't feel any better." Padmé sighed.

Mickey and Qui-Gon glanced at each other as they entered Watto's junk shop. In this manner, they silently communicated that they were not comfortable with Padmé's self-assurance in what the queen would say or do.

The sound of argument diverted their attention. Watto and Anakin looked up as they entered. The former fluttered up to Qui-Gon, completely ignoring Mickey. "The boy tells me you want to sponsor him in the race. How can you do this? Not on Republic credits, I think, huh?"

"My ship will be the entry fee." Qui-Gon said. He produced a miniature holoprojector from his belt, showing Watto a small image of the ship.

"Not bad, not bad." Watto muttered as he examined the projection.

"It's in good order, except for the parts we need." Qui-Gon told the junk dealer.

"But what would the boy ride?" Watto asked. "He smashed up my Pod in the last race."

"It wasn't _my_ fault!" Anakin protested. "Sebulba flashed me with his vents! I actually _saved_ the Pod... mostly."

Watto laughed. "That you did! The boy's good, no doubts there."

Mickey suddenly spoke up. "I have a Pod. I didn't bring it up earlier because I know it's not worth the parts of a Gummi ship. It's the fastest ever built."

Watto folded his hands, interlocking his fingers. "So... you supply the Pod and the entry fee, I supply the boy, we split the winnings... fifty-fifty, I think, huh?"

"Fifty-fifty?" Qui-Gon scoffed. "If it's going to be fifty-fifty, I suggest _you_ supply the cash for the entry. No... if we win, you keep _all_ the winnings, minus the cost of the parts I need. If we lose, you keep my ship."

Watto looked hesitant, so Mickey added, "You win either way."

"Deal!" Watto said at last, shaking hands with Qui-Gon and Mickey in turn.

The rest of the details had been decided quickly. Watto was so enthusiastic, he even agreed to let Anakin spend the entire day getting "Mickey's" Pod ready. Jar Jar, R2-D2, Padmé, and Kairi had all pitched in. Mickey, when he wasn't discussing their next move with Qui-Gon, had watched the commotion from the slave hovel. He reflected that he hadn't seen Kairi smile that much since Sora turned to the dark side. How long ago had that been? Two days? Three? It was hard to say. Still, he couldn't help but wonder why Sora hadn't revealed himself yet. He knew not to let his faith in his heart waver, but he was starting to worry about _when_ Sora would appear. At least he knew Riku and the others were safe--Qui-Gon had received a message on his comlink saying that the four were safe on the ship.

* * *

Now, as the twin suns of Tatooine sank slowly in the west, one right behind the other, Qui-Gon and Mickey stood with Shmi Skywalker. The Pod was finished and everyone was back inside except for those three grave figures.

"You should be proud of your son." Mickey told Shmi. "He gives freely from his heart, without any thought of reward."

"He knows nothing of greed." Shmi sighed. "He has..." she stopped and gave Qui-Gon a sidelong look.

"He has special powers." Qui-Gon prompted.

Shmi's voice was barely audible. "Yes."

"He can see things before they happen." Qui-Gon continued. "That's why he appears to have such fast reflexes--it's a Jedi trait. "

"He deserves better than a slave's life." Shmi said sadly.

"Had he been born in the Republic, we would have identified him early. The Force is strong with him, that much is clear." Qui-Gon murmured.

Mickey couldn't help but ask the question that had been on his mind ever since he saw the boy. "Who's his father?"

Shmi shook her head. "There _was_ no father. I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him... I can't explain what happened." He noticed that neither the Jedi nor the Keybearer spoke, so she continued, "He was special from the very beginning. Can you help him?"

"I don't know." Qui-Gon sighed. "I didn't actually come here to free slaves."

Mickey looked up at him reproachfully, then told Shmi, "We'll see what we can do for him. But I can't make any promises. He has the potential for great good." _And for great evil_. Mickey finished silently. He didn't have the heart to tell Shmi that.

Qui-Gon and Mickey turned to leave as night fell upon Tatooine. Qui-Gon headed straight for Anakin's room, while Mickey went to check on Kairi and her new friends. Just as Riku was the brother Kairi never had, so too was Mickey Kairi's father. After all, her _real_ father had been one of Mickey's closest friends. He cared for her and looked after her as a father would, and was more like her father than the mayor of Destiny Islands had ever been. And since Queen Minnie was unable to have children of her own due to some unknown condition, Mickey had--in a sense--adopted Kairi as his own daughter.

This was one of the differences between Keybearers and Jedi: Keybearers allowed themselves to form attachments. They allowed themselves to _love_.

* * *

Back on the silver vessel that was Queen Amidala's ship, Obi-Wan looked at the readouts of Anakin's blood that Qui-Gon had sent him.

The previous night, when Riku and his friends had come aboard the vessel, they had shared a conversation with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Queen Amidala that was very similar to the one Qui-Gon and his newfound friends had shared over dinner in the slave hovel. Riku and Obi-Wan, as fellow apprentices, instantly felt the spark that soon ignited into a strong friendship, again similar to the one their masters had formed.

Now, Riku was standing over Obi-Wan's chair, leaning over his shoulder as he tried to see the readouts. He was again dressed in his black cloak and gloves. "_I need a midi-chlorian count_." they heard Qui-Gon say over his comlink.

Obi-Wan saw the readings and instantly ran a signal check. "That's strange." he told Qui-Gon. "The transmission seems to be in good order, but his midi-chlorian count is off the charts--over twenty thousand! Not even Master Yoda has a midi-chlorian count that high!"

"_No Jedi has_." Qui-Gon told his apprentice.

"What does it mean?" Obi-Wan asked.

"_I'm not sure_." Qui-Gon said before cutting off the link.

"Yoda?" Riku asked as soon as Obi-Wan put his comlink away.

"He's the Grand Master of the Jedi Order." Obi-Wan replied. "He's over eight hundred years old. He's the wisest, most powerful Jedi of us all. He's the one all the other Jedi look up to."

"Hmph." Riku snorted. "Give or take a few hundred years, and that sounds almost exactly like King Mickey."

Suddenly, Riku felt a presence he hadn't felt in two days. "Sora's here." he said, his muscles tensing.

It was Obi-Wan's turn to be confused. "Sora?"

"The friend I told you we were looking for." Riku explained. "The one that fell to the dark side."

Riku whipped out his cell phone and quickly punched in King Mickey's number. "_Hello_?" he heard his master say.

"Your Majesty, is Kairi anywhere nearby?" Riku asked.

"_She's right here_." Mickey replied. "_Do you want to talk to her_?"

"The opposite." Riku said in a voice that was constantly tensing up. "I need you to get as far away from her as you can. She _can't_ hear what I'm about to say."

Riku waited until Mickey was away from Kairi. "_What is it_,_ Riku_?" the king asked.

"I sense Sora's presence near the outskirts of the city." Riku stated as calmly as he could--in other words, not very.

"_What_?" Mickey exclaimed. "_Are you absolutely sure_?"

"Positive." Riku affirmed.

Riku heard Mickey sigh. "_We need to wait_. _Let _him_ come to _us."

"What? Why?" Riku demanded.

"_Because if we subdue him now_, _we'll never know what plans Shin'en has for him_... _or maybe even the other way around_." Mickey said gravely. "_Besides_, _I have to stay here and monitor our means of getting the parts that ship needs_. _And there's something about the boy_... _I sense the great potential for either light or darkness_. _A lot like you were once_. _Besides_, _we can't afford to break Kairi's heart now_. _She's made lots of friends and she's keeping Sora out of her mind_. _She's being strong for us_. _We have to do the same_ _for her_. _Patience_, _my apprentice_."

Riku could only submit to Mickey's wisdom. "All right, Your Majesty. Good night."

Riku hung up the phone and stuck it into his pocket. "We're waiting." he told Obi-Wan. "The Podrace is tomorrow, according to Qui-Gon. After that, we can see about getting to Coruscant."

"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan muttered.

* * *

Sora emerged through a corridor of darkness and looked around. He was standing on a rocky mesa overlooking the small settlement that Shin'en had called Mos Espa. Night had just fallen, and the temperature was quickly dropping. _Why did Shin'en make me wait until now to show up_? Sora thought to himself. _If he'd led me go when I wanted, Riku and Mickey would be dead and Kairi would be mine by now_.

Before Sora could take his first step toward the city, however, he saw a spacecraft land very near his location. "Well well," Sora said to himself, "looks like I've got a playmate or two." The Darkheart keyblade appeared in his hand and he approached the vessel.

What he saw surprised him. A figure in a hooded black robe emerged from the spacecraft and immediately turned toward him. Sora was taken aback by the figure's red and black tattoos as well as its piercing yellow eyes. It removed something from its belt, which immediately projected a bar of red plasma like the blade of a sword. Sora searched his memory. What were those things called?

Oh yeah... _lightsabers_.

Sora had little time to think before the figure struck at him. Sora instinctively raised his keyblade to meet the lightsaber. Because the keyblade was magical in nature, the lightsaber could not cut it. Sora smirked and the figure's feral eyes widened.

The figure next aimed a sweep at Sora's legs. Sora leaped around to the figure's back, expecting to find it unprotected. He aimed a swipe at the figure's back. Unexpectedly, however, a _second_ bar of red plasma came up and blocked Sora's strike. Sora's eyes widened.

This thing had a _double-bladed_ lightsaber!

The cloaked figure was undaunted as it whipped around and began to fight. Its double-bladed lightsaber, called a saberstaff, was a constant blur of motion. Sora stuck his keyblade into the center of this blur, which caused the saberstaff to stop moving for a second. In this second, Sora used his blade to push the forward blade of the saberstaff away from him, which would cause the rear blade to slice the cloaked warrior in half.

The figure saw what Sora was doing and leaped to the side, never losing its grip on the saberstaff. For the millisecond that the figure was in the air, Sora cast a powerful Thundaga spell, sending lightning raining down on the figure. The figure howled in pain as it landed hard on the sand.

As the figure rose, it placed its saberstaff in its left hand. With its right, it slowly made a fist. As it did so, Sora could feel invisible fingers wrapping around his throat, threatening to choke the life out of him. Sora did the only sensible thing to do.

He threw his keyblade at the figure.

The keyblade spun around in midair so that the hilt of the weapon crashed into the cloaked figure's chin. This caused the figure to drop its saberstaff long enough for Sora to run and retrieve it, at the same time summoning his keyblade in his other hand. Keyblade and lightsaber crossed at the bestial figure's throat. "Now," Sora said, "would you mind telling me who you are and why I shouldn't kill you?"

The figure, who turned out to be none other than Darth Maul, glared at Sora with animalistic eyes. "Kill me if you must. But then you'll never find the other Keybearers on this planet."

Sora paused. "Was one short with giant ears, and did the other one have long silver hair?"

Darth Maul had no idea--he had only heard about Keybearers from his master very recently--but he decided that a bluff was necessary for his survival. "Yes." he said.

Sora instantly dropped Darth Maul's saberstaff, which returned to the Sith Lord's hand. "I think we can work together." the latter proposed. "I'm looking for two Jedi, and you're looking for two Keybearers. I'm sure they've found each other by now. If we combine our efforts, we can both walk away contented."

Sora nodded, but said nothing. "All right. We'll work together. But if you cross me, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Likewise." Darth Maul returned. "You may call me Darth Maul."

"Sora." Sora replied. "Now, _Darth Maul_, what's our first move?"

Darth Maul clapped his hands twice, and six probe droids emerged from his ship. "There are only three settlements on this planet I have not checked. Our missing warriors should be in one of them."

Maul dispatched the droids, two to each city. "And now we wait." Sora sighed. He'd had enough of waiting, but had to admit that he had no idea where to search. Perhaps this Darth Maul could help him... before Sora betrayed and killed him, as he planned to do once the Sith Lord had outlived his usefulness.

* * *

Kairi was up at sunrise the following morning, staring out at the rising suns. She was reminded of all the sunrises and sunsets she had watched back on the Destiny Islands, with Sora's arm wrapped around her and her head on his strong shoulders. She couldn't help but wonder if Sora was watching the sunrise too--wherever he was.

She breathed a sigh of relief to find Padmé and R2-D2 come out to work on the Podracer. She needed relief, however temporary, from her thoughts about what the man she loved had become. That was exactly how she saw him: as a man--a very young man, to be sure--but every centimeter a _man_. Her heart still ached for him, but she crunched this down as she ran to meet the others.

When she came down to the Pod, she saw Anakin asleep by the Pod. He had fallen asleep there last night, and no one had the heart to wake him. _He's so young_. Kairi thought. _If he fails_, _we'll be stuck here for who knows how long_. _But if he succeeds_, _we might leave before we find Sora_.

Kairi had little time to reflect on this before Anakin opened his eyes. He looked up into Kairi's own indigo orbs and said, "I had a dream about you."

Kairi shrugged this off and smiled. "You did?"

Anakin sat up and nodded. "Yup. You were hugging a man with spiky brown hair. Who is he?"

Kairi's smile turned into a gape of astonishment. "That's Sora! That's the Keybearer I'm looking for!"

Anakin smiled. "You'll find him."

Kairi wanted to dismiss this as a young boy's dream, but Qui-Gon's words about him being "a very special boy" made her believe him. "I hope you're right." she said.

Before another word was uttered, Padmé walked up to the two. "Hi, Kairi. Good morning, Annie." she greeted them. To Anakin, she added, "Your mother wants you to go inside and clean up. We'll be leaving in a few minutes."

Anakin nodded and ran off to get himself ready. Kairi turned to Padmé. "Where are Qui-Gon and King Mickey?"

Padmé shrugged. "They went with Jar Jar already. Mickey said something about 'unfinished business,' whatever that means."

Kairi shrugged. "That's the thing about King Mickey. You never know what he's planning until it happens."

"He sounds a lot like a Jedi." Padmé said thoughtfully. Kairi could only nod. What _was_ he planning?

* * *

Mickey looked around. He had never seen so many dangerous-looking vehicles in all his life. He could almost imagine what would have happened if Sora had been present. He would probably have entered the Podrace himself, instead of letting this _boy_ do it. But there was no time for dwelling on what could have been. He had to stay focused.

The previous night, Qui-Gon and Mickey had discussed the boy's fate for several hours. They both agreed that the boy needed training. Qui-Gon had first suggested that Mickey take the boy, but Mickey refused. The boy belonged in his own galaxy, and the Force was too strong with him for him not to become a Jedi. And when Mickey referenced the Jedi prophecy of someone like Anakin bringing balance to the Force, Qui-Gon had no more argument. But they were still unsure of how to _free_ the boy.

Mickey had been thinking about this ever since he had awakened a little before dawn. Now, as he walked among the Podracers and their owners, he couldn't help but wonder how the boy was ever going to win. But he had faith in the strength of the boy's heart, and refused to give up hope.

Suddenly, his thoughts stopped.

Watto was coming.

Watto fluttered up to Qui-Gon, again ignoring Mickey. "I want to see your ship the moment the race is over." he barked.

"Patience, my blue friend." Qui-Gon replied coolly. "You'll have your winnings before the suns set, and we'll be far away from here."

"Not if your ship belongs to me, I think." Watto chortled. He suddenly grew serious. "I warn you: no funny business."

"You don't think Anakin can win?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Don't get me wrong, no." Watto said in mock assurance. "He's a credit to your race. But Sebulba there is going to win, I think."

Qui-Gon, Mickey, and especially Jar Jar recognized the four-armed creature that had nearly beaten Jar Jar to a pulp. "Why do you think that?" Qui-Gon asked Watto.

"He _always_ wins." Watto said matter-of-factly, "I'm betting heavily on Sebulba."

Mickey's face lit up. This was the chance he and Qui-Gon had been looking for. "I'll take that bet." he said.

Watto looked down at the mouse with contempt. "You what?"

Mickey was undaunted by Watto's stare. "I'll bet my racing Pod against... the boy and his mother."

"No Pod is worth two slaves!" Watto retorted. "Not by a long shot!"

"The boy, then." Mickey offered. The boy was the one they needed, and Shmi would understand. But would _Anakin_?

Watto looked unsure. "Hmm... well, uh..." he muttered. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. "We'll let fate decide, huh? I just happen to have a chance cube here." Watto reached into his pocket and removed something like a die, but with three blue sides and three red ones. Watto explained, "Blue, it's the boy... red, his _mother_."

Mickey looked up at Qui-Gon, who smiled and nodded in return. Watto threw the chance cube onto the ground. Qui-Gon waved his hand, and sure enough, the chance cube landed on blue.

Watto stared at Qui-Gon and Mickey in disbelief. "You won this small toss, outlanders, but you won't win the race, so it makes little difference!"

Assured by his own words, Watto laughed as he fluttered toward where Anakin, Padmé, Kairi, Shmi, and one of Anakin's friends named Kitster arrived on beasts of burden called eopies. Watto spoke to Anakin in a strange language. Mickey understood, as he had studied many different languages in his lifetime: "_Better stop your friends' betting, or I'll end up owning them too_."

Before Anakin could issue a reply, Watto fluttered away. "What did he mean by that?" the boy asked Mickey.

"I'll explain later." Mickey reassured Anakin while Qui-Gon helped everyone to dismount their eopies.

Kairi, Padmé, and Kitster followed Anakin to his Pod. "This is _so_ wizard, Annie!" Kitster exclaimed. "I'm sure you'll do it this time."

"Do what?" Kairi asked.

Kitster looked up at Kairi indignantly. "Finish the race, of _course_."

"You've never won a race?" Padmé asked Anakin in a distressed tone.

"Well... not exactly." Anakin replied, a little ashamed.

"Not even _finished_?" Padmé continued in stunned disbelief.

"Kitster's right--I'll do it this time." Anakin reassured his friends. Padmé still didn't look convinced.

"Of course you will." Qui-Gon said as he walked up behind the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. Qui-Gon looked up at Padmé with that look of his and Mickey's that clearly told her to have faith.

Padmé glared at Qui-Gon sharply until the Jedi Master left with Anakin. She then looked at Kairi helplessly. "Can you believe it? We're betting the fate of my entire planet--not to mention our chances of ever leaving--on a _long shot_?"

Kairi only shrugged. "When you come up with a better idea, you be sure to let us know. Until then, we have to trust King Mickey and Qui-Gon."

Padmé shook her head. "You're overly optimistic."

"I have to be." Kairi sighed. "Or I would've lost my heart a long time ago."

Before Padmé could question what this meant, she heard Qui-Gon calling to them that the race was about to start. They made their way toward Anakin's Pod and helped to bring it to the starting gate.

As soon as they reached the gate, Kairi noticed a two-headed announcer begin his commentary. One head spoke in the language that Kairi did not understand, but the other spoke Basic (which is the language in which this story is being written). The first head babbled on in that strange language, but the other head cut him off. "That's absolutely right--and a big turnout here from all corners of the Outer Rim territories. I see the contestants are making their way out to the starting grid."

As the twin-headed announcer began to talk about the racers and their past achievements, Kairi was dismayed to hear the Basic-speaking announcer speak so highly of everyone--except Anakin. "Anakin Skywalker, a local boy," was all the announcer had said before moving on. Sebulba, on the other hand, was still being cheered for long after the announcer had stopped talking about him.

"I see the flags are moving onto the track," the announcer said as several different creatures bearing several different flags marched in front of the Podracers. It was almost time for them to go.

Shmi bent down and hugged Anakin tightly. "Be safe." she pleaded.

"I will, Mom." Anakin assured his mother as he returned her hug. "I promise."

Shmi headed for the grandstand, with Kairi, Padmé, Jar Jar, C-3PO, and R2-D2 in tow. Mickey and Qui-Gon stayed behind for a moment.

"You all set, Annie?" Mickey asked after leaping onto the Pod.

"Yup." Anakin said excitedly.

Qui-Gon lifted Anakin into the Pod and instructed him, "Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Use your instincts."

"I will." Anakin promised.

"May the Force be with you." Qui-Gon told him.

"And may your heart guide you to victory." Mickey added.

After patting Anakin on the head, both Mickey and Qui-Gon made their way to the grandstand with the others.

The announcer again began to speak. The head that spoke in the strange language said three words that made sense to Kairi: "Jabba the Hutt."

The crowd roared in excitement as the large sluglike creature called Jabba made his way to the center box. Although Jabba also spoke in the odd language, Kairi could tell that he was announcing for the race to begin.

The noise was deafening as at least fifty Pods roared to life. "Hey, it looks like they're clearing the grid!" the announcer shouted. And just in time, too--Qui-Gon and Mickey had just made it to the grandstand.

"Is he nervous?" Shmi asked with concern.

"He's fine." Qui-Gon assured her.

Padmé was still angry about Anakin's slim odds of winning. "You two are both far too reckless." she said to Mickey and Qui-Gon. "The queen is not--"

"The queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden." Qui-Gon cut her off. "You should too."

"You assume too much." Padmé spat back. Kairi wondered why Padmé was so uptight, but had little time to ask. The platform on which she and her friends were standing began to rise into the air as the announcer instructed the Podracers to start their engines.

**A/N: Pretty cool, eh? And has anyone else noticed that my chapters are getting progressively longer? I'll have to do something about that. At any rate, here are the replies to the reviews I've recieved:**

**Shire Folk: EXCUSE ME, MISTER SMARTY PANTS! Kidding! I'm aware that what I wrote defies all existing laws of space and time, but work with me! In the first Kingdom Hearts game, Sora drove his Gummi ship through black holes all the time! REMEMBER? And I'm sorry, but I'm a Prequel Trilogy kind of guy myself. But if they DID remake the Original Trilogy, that would be AWESOME! Thanks for your input, though.**

**Lost Pajama Boy: I can't tell you what Sora will be doing exactly, or I'd ruin the ending. But what I CAN say is that Sora does kill a major character of this story in the very next chapter (I won't say who). I hope you liked the initial battle between Darth Maul and Sora (not to worry, it won't be the last time these two face off).**

**Lord Moldybutt signing off!**


	10. A Podrace and an Unexpected Meeting

**A/N: Hooray! I'm back on track as far as posting chapters goes. Hope you enjoy, guys! And here we go!**

* * *

_**Chapter 9: A Podrace and an Unexpected Meeting**_

_"And now you belong to darkness_. _Just look at what you are_!"

_--Zexion_

Kairi looked down from the elevated grandstand as the race was signaled to begin. She felt a twinge of excitement as all the Pods blasted out of the starting gate.

Except Anakin's.

It seemed that two Pods were still stuck in the starting grid. Anakin's Pod was left behind. _We're off to this bad of a start already_? Kairi thought exasperatedly. _We're never gonna win_!

"Wait." The announcer chuckled. "Little Skywalker has stalled."

The sound of laughter was deafening to Kairi's ears, which she covered with her hands. She glanced toward Mickey, who only shook his head. The announcer was talking about another racer who was also having engine trouble, but Kairi didn't care. She crossed her fingers and wished with all her might that Anakin's Pod might work. "Come on, Annie!" Jar Jar squealed.

Suddenly, Anakin's engines flared to life and his Pod sped out of the starting grid. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the announcer exclaimed, "And there goes Skywalker!" but Kairi's face fell as she also heard the announcer say, "He will be hard-pressed to catch up with the leaders."

Despite these words, however, Anakin quickly sped through the pack. Sebulba, meanwhile, had rammed into another Pod and sent it crashing against a rock wall, where it exploded in a blossom of flame. "Hey!" Kairi shouted. "That thing's _cheating_!"

"There are no rules in these races," Qui-Gon told her, "except one: win at any cost."

Kairi sighed. This was all so different than what she was used to back on peaceful worlds like Destiny Islands, or even Radiant Garden. "It's still not right." she muttered as she continued to watch the race.

The leading Pods began to form a single-file line as they headed straight into a narrow canyon, making passing up the leader impossible. Unfortunately, the leader was Sebulba. Anakin, unfortunately, had yet to even _reach_ the canyon, and was still speeding along at full throttle.

Anakin was not in last place when he reached the canyon, and Kairi thanked their lucky stars for that, but he was still nowhere near Sebulba. The leaders erupted out of the canyon and began to work their Pods through a natural maze of rock. One or two racers crashed inside this maze, and Kairi hoped that Anakin would not meet this fate.

Anakin, however, took full advantage of the maze to bypass several racers and work his way into the lead pack. Kairi's anxiety didn't go down, however, when the racers turned into a very dark cave. One racer managed to crash into a stalactite, killing the racer and destroying its Pod. Kairi hoped the same thing would not happen to Anakin. _If only Sora was down there instead of the boy_. Kairi found herself thinking. _He's the best pilot in the worlds_. _I miss him so much_... Kairi mentally slapped herself and forced herself to watch the race.

At this point, the remaining Podracers were out of the cave and out into the open. However, seemingly from nowhere, red plasma bolts came streaking down on the Pods. Someone was _shooting_ at them! But who? And why?

The answer came from the announcer. "Uh-oh! Looks like a few Tusken Raiders are camped out on the canyon dune turn!"

Kairi shot Mickey a questioning glance. He shrugged. He didn't know what Tusken Raiders were either, but from their appearance on the viewscreen, they weren't friendly.

The Podracers soon sped out of the Tusken Raiders' range and the racers sped back into the stadium, signaling the start of the second lap. The statistics that showed up on the viewscreen showed that Anakin was in tenth place--not bad, but not good either. Sebulba was still in first place. Watto might win this bet after all.

The second lap was basically a repeat of the first. There were more crashes and much shouting by the announcer's two heads. Padmé seemed to be lightening up a little, seeing Anakin pass up more racers and eventually work his way into the pack of leaders. Sebulba began to cheat.

The first thing the Dug did that obviously wasn't in the rulebook was toss a piece of junk into one of the engines of the Pod behind him. The Pod completely exploded. _That could have been Anakin_. Kairi said to herself. It was a scary thought.

Kairi's thoughts proved to be prophetic, as a piece of shrapnel from the explosion disconnected one of the cables that connected one engine to Anakin's Pod. The now free engine was only held in place by the power coupling that connected the two engines, and it was more than useless now. "Skywalker's spinning out of control!" the announcer cried.

Everyone's face fell, but Mickey closed his eyes and began to whisper in the same manner Riku had back in the dungeon of Radian Garden--speaking to Anakin's heart directly. After a moment of struggling, Anakin managed to reconnect the engine to the Pod and was back in the race. But he still had a lot of catching up to do.

This came when the Podracers again came upon the canyon dune turn. The Tusken Raiders fired at several Pods, crashing no less than two. "I don't care _what_ universe you're from; that's gotta hurt!" the announcer shouted as one of the Pods exploded. Now, there were only two Pods left: Sebulba's and Anakin's.

The Pods raced through the stadium for the second time, signaling the beginning of the final lap. "At the start of the final lap, Sebulba's in the lead, followed closely by Skywalker!" Kairi held her breath and crossed her fingers. This was going to be a long lap.

Sebulba entered the canyon segment of the track just before Anakin, giving Anakin no room to maneuver. Adding to Anakin's problem, Sebulba used the rear of his Pod to drive Anakin off course. "Skywalker's been forced onto the service ramp!" the announcer exclaimed. And he was.

Anakin's Pod crashed through the fragile boards barring entrance to the service ramp. The Pod ascended the ramp and was launched high into the air, with Sebulba's laughter echoing below. Once Anakin had risen no less than a hundred yards into the air, he began his long descent. He was going to crash!

At the last moment, Anakin gunned his engines and shot forward, landing directly in front of Sebulba's Pod. Anakin quickly sped away. There was much cheering in the grandstand where Kairi and her friends waited, but it stopped as soon as it had started.

The race was not yet over.

Soon, they were speeding their way through the natural rocky maze that had crashed so many Pods. Sebulba was literally right on Anakin's tail, the purple beam of his power coupling no more than an inch away from the rear of Anakin's Pod. Anakin increased his speed in an attempt to get away, but this caused his left engine to burst into flame! "Skywalker's in trouble!" the announcer cheered. "Sebulba takes the lead!"

Kairi watched on the viewscreen as Anakin made some minor adjustments with the controls, which put out the fire in Anakin's engine. Another moment and Anakin was speeding off to catch Sebulba. But the Dug had gained a lot of ground.

Nevertheless, Anakin began to catch up, and soon, Anakin's Pod was only a few yards behind Sebulba's. "He's catching Sebulba!" the announcer pointed out.

Now they were out on the open desert that signified the home stretch. Anakin managed to push his Pod until it was right beside Sebulba's. When he did so, Sebulba rammed Anakin's Pod! Somehow, their cables caught and they became stuck to one another. Sebulba was _dragging_ Anakin to the finish line! "That little human being is out of his mind!" the announcer gasped. "They're side by side!"

Suddenly, Anakin jerked his Pod to the right, severing one of Sebulba's cables as he did so. Sebulba screamed in terror As his engines disconnected from his Pod, sending him to a screeching halt. Anakin's was the only Pod to reach the finish line. The crowd roared.

Anakin had _won_!

As Anakin's Pod came to a halt, everyone rushed around him. Qui-Gon was the first to reach him. He helped Anakin out of his Pod and lifted him onto his shoulders. "Mom! I did it!" Anakin shouted gleefully.

Padmé, who had from the very beginning opposed this entire plan, was the first one to kneel down and give Anakin a hug. "We owe you everything, Annie." she told him.

His mother was next, reaching down and kissing Anakin on his grime-covered cheek. "It's so wonderful, Annie!" she exclaimed. "You have brought hope to those who have none. I'm so very proud of you."

Kairi only smiled. "Great job, Annie." she said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mickey and Qui-Gon made their way to where Watto was still grumbling about the race. "You!" he grunted when he saw the Jedi and Keybearer walking toward him. "You swindled me! You knew the boy was going to win--somehow you _knew_ it! I lost everything."

Mickey looked up at him with a smile that was triumphant, but not in any way boastful. "Whenever you gamble, you're bound to lose eventually. You can bring the parts to the main hangar. We'll come by your shop later on to pick up Anakin."

"You can't have him! It wasn't a fair bet!" Watto argued.

Mickey looked up at Qui-Gon helplessly. Qui-Gon maintained what Riku would have called _a really good poker face_. "Would you like to discuss it with the Hutts?" he asked Watto calmly. "I'm sure they can settle this."

Mickey remembered Jabba the Hutt, who had hosted the Podrace. Apparently, the Hutts controlled the entire planet. Watto sighed in defeat. "Take him."

Mickey and Qui-Gon both bowed before going to join their friends.

* * *

When Kairi first saw the silver ship, she was stunned. Immediately, a group of uniformed crew members emerged from the ship and escorted her, Padmé, R2-D2, and Jar Jar inside. Still more crew members came to unload the two eopies that carried the necessary parts of the ship.

Obi-Wan and Riku emerged from the ship to see Qui-Gon and Mickey inside, but they refused. "We're going back." Qui-Gon said. "Some unfinished business. We won't be long."

"Why do I sense we've picked up _another_ pathetic life form?" Obi-Wan asked. Aside from Riku, the new passengers had struck him as very odd, and he had no wish for any more.

"It's the boy who's responsible for getting us these parts." Qui-Gon replied. "Get this hyperdrive generator installed."

Obi-Wan bowed submissively. "Yes, Master. It shouldn't take long."

Qui-Gon and Mickey rode away on the eopies. Riku, who was just a smidgeon taller than Obi-Wan, smiled down at him and said, "Don't worry. Kairi and King Mickey are _way_ more sensible than the others."

"I'll have to take your word for it." Obi-Wan shrugged. "We'd best hurry. I've got to get these parts installed before our masters return."

* * *

Qui-Gon and Mickey quickly returned the eopies and set off on foot toward Watto's junk shop. Watto was not there, but Anakin was. He followed Qui-Gon and Mickey out of the junk shop and toward his slave hovel.

"Here. These are yours." Qui-Gon said, handing Anakin a pouch full of whatever currency this planet used.

"Yes!" Anakin exclaimed as he opened the door to the hovel and ran inside. "Mom!" he shouted as soon as he walked in the door. "We sold the Pod! Look at all the money we have!"

"My goodness!" Shmi gasped. "That's so wonderful, Annie!"

"And he's free." Mickey informed Shmi.

"_What_?" Anakin asked, shocked.

Qui-Gon gave him a gentle smile. "You're no longer a slave."

Anakin turned to his mother. "Did you hear that?"

Shmi's face was solemn. She had heard what Mickey _hadn't_ said. Anakin was free, but she was not. In the end, she could only smile weakly. "Now you can make your dreams come true, Annie. You are free." Suddenly, a new light entered her eyes as a realization dawned upon her. She gazed up at Qui-Gon curiously. "Will you take him with you? Is he to become a Jedi?"

"Yes." Qui-Gon answered. "Our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident."

Anakin's own eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "You mean _I_ get to come with _you_ in your _starship_?"

Mickey looked up at Qui-Gon expectantly, telling him that there was more that needed to be said. Qui-Gon knelt down before Anakin and told him, "Anakin, training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge. And even if you succeed, it's a hard life."

"But I wanna go!" Anakin pleaded. "It's what I've always _dreamed_ of doing!" He turned to Shmi. "Can I go, Mom?"

Shmi placed her hand on her son's. "Anakin, this path has been placed before _you_. The choice is yours alone."

"I wanna do it!" Anakin said decisively.

"Then pack your things." Mickey told him. "We need to go."

Anakin ran excitedly to do as he was told, but suddenly stopped. "What about Mom? Is she free too?"

Mickey shook his head. "We tried, Annie, but Watto wouldn't have it."

Anakin walked back toward his mother. "You're coming with us, aren't you Mom?"

Shmi placed her hands squarely on Anakin's shoulders as she said, "Son, my place is here--my future is here. It is time for you to let go."

"I don't want things to change." Anakin replied, tears forming in his eyes.

"But you can't stop the change, any more than you can stop the suns from setting." Shmi told him before wrapping her arms around him. "Now hurry." she reminded him once she had released him.

Anakin ran to pack his things. As he did so, Shmi stood up. "Thank you." she managed to whisper to the Jedi and Keybearer.

"I will look after him." Qui-Gon promised. "You have my word."

Mickey looked up at Shmi sympathetically. "Will you be okay?"

Shmi only nodded.

* * *

Sora looked out into the blinding light of a Tatooine afternoon. He was inside the Sith craft, awaiting the appearance of a single probe droid. He was getting bored. "How long do we have to wait here?" he demanded of the stoic Darth Maul. "I'm bored out of my brain!"

"We just sent the probe droids yesterday." Darth Maul replied. "We could wait for days."

"Well count me out." Sora muttered decisively. "I'm leaving. I'll be back before too long. Don't do anything _too_ exciting."

"Don't hold your breath, impatient Keybearer." Darth Maul spat back. But Sora had already disappeared into a corridor of darkness.

Darth Maul had just muttered something about how stupid and undisciplined Keybearers were when one of his probe droids floated into view. This was unexpected, and could only mean good news. It hummed in a strange droid language, alerting Darth Maul to the presence of the Jedi and, presumably, the queen. Darth Maul primed his personally customized speeder, the Bloodfin, and took off after the droid. The Jedi would soon be within his reach, and that foolish Keybearer would _not_ get in the way.

* * *

Sora looked around. He was back in the Hall of Empty Melodies. "Shin'en!" he shouted. "I have a bone to pick with you!"

Shin'en appeared before Sora through a corridor of darkness. "What is it, Sora? Is the Sith Lord not keeping you occupied enough?"

"We haven't _moved_ for the past day!" Sora complained.

Shin'en shook his head with false sympathy. "I'm sorry. But this will all pay off soon when the princess is back in our control."

"_Our_ control?" Sora repeated. "There is no _our_. Kairi is _mine_, and no one else's!"

"Of course she is." Shin'en agreed. "But through you, I shall have control over her as well."

Sora's keyblade appeared in his hand. "You were _using _me?"

Shin'en rolled his eyes. If Sora wanted to fight, there was no way around it. Thundaga magic flew from his fingertips and he expected Sora to go down just like last time. But this time, Sora caught the lightning with his keyblade. It crackled around the blade as Sora growled, "You don't have power here anymore."

Shin'en's eyes were wide in shock, but he quickly composed himself. "Oh, don't I?" he asked, snapping his fingers. A swarm of Dusks crowded around Sora, surrounding him and separating him from Shin'en.

Sora shook his head. "Oh, come _on_. Like _that_'s gonna work." He snapped his own fingers. Instantly, Neoshadows surrounded him and began to work their way through the Dusks. Sora also began to walk toward Shin'en, casually slashing at any Dusk that ventured too close. "And to think," Sora said with a smirk, "I used to be scared of you."

Sora looked around, but he could find nothing but the Dusks clashing with his own Neoshadows. Shin'en was nowhere to be seen. "Where'd the two-timing little prince go?" Sora was answered by the burning sensation of powerful Firaga magic ramming hard into his back. He quickly cast a Curaga spell upon himself and looked up. Shin'en was grinning down at him from the balcony above. "Oh, _Sora_!" Shin'en called mockingly. "Up here!"

Sora leaped into the air and landed upon the head of a Dusk. He leaped from the Nobody to the balcony above. No battling Heartless or Nobodies were there to spoil the fight. It was just Shin'en and Sora. The Left Hand of Yen Sid and the Fallen Keyblade Master.

Sora, surprisingly, made his keyblade disappear. "What are you doing?" Shin'en asked. "Why do you put away your blade? Do you surrender?"

"Not likely." Sora retorted. "I don't need a keyblade to kill you. Not anymore." To prove his point, Sora jerked his right hand forward. A powerful Dark Aura flew from his palms and bombarded Shin'en. Or so Sora thought.

Shin'en didn't even blink. A Reflega spell seemed to pop out of _nowhere_ and intercepted the Dark Aura. The walls of the Reflega shield then moved outward, threatening to crush Sora against the wall. Sora pointed at the wall and cast the Stopga spell, forcing the wall to stop in its tracks. he clenched his fist, and the Graviga spell forced the wall to implode upon itself.

Shin'en was not out of tricks yet. He gestured toward Sora, and a Blizzaga spell rammed into the boy's chest. Sora looked down at his chest in shock. His body was beginning to freeze! After another second, before Sora could react, he was frozen completely solid!

Shin'en stepped forward to examine his prisoner. "Now, Sora," he mused, "what method shall I use to kill you? Oh, I know!" With this, Shin'en picked the petrified Sora up by the neck and threw him over the balcony. Only another two seconds and Sora would shatter into a million pieces on contact with the floor.

One second after plunging from the balcony, Sora was wreathed in a Firaga spell. The ice melted and Sora was freed. Instead of shattering on impact with the floor, Sora landed on his feet and sprang right back onto the balcony. "Boo." he smirked.

Shin'en smiled. A flash of light appeared in his hand. A moment later, the light was revealed to be a weapon of some sort, shaped like a silver key and covered in nasty spikes. The Nobody symbol decorated the handle, and the _keychain_ looked like a pointed cross.

Shin'en had a _keyblade_?

Indeed, in Shin'en's hand was the powerful Two Across keyblade. "It seems this contest cannot be decided by our magical prowess," he declared, angling the blade at Sora, "but by our skills with a keyblade."

Sora was beyond surprised to see Shin'en wielding a keyblade, but quickly transformed his shock into rage. The Darkheart keyblade appeared in his own hands. He gripped the handle tightly as he hissed, "Bring it on."

Before Sora could blink, Shin'en's keyblade struck with the weight of a mountain. Sora barely managed to bring his keyblade up in time. But when Shin'en struck again, Sora was prepared. He leaped over the prince's head and slammed his keyblade into his back. Shin'en whipped around as fast as he could, undaunted by the blow, and swiped at Sora's legs. Sora jumped backward and launched his keyblade at Shin'en. Shin'en swatted it aside with his own keyblade and casually sauntered toward Sora.

Sora called his keyblade back to his hand, only to immediately need it to counter Shin'en's next attack. Sora aimed a powerful sideways chop at Shin'en, but the prince casually shunted it aside. Several more blows were traded, but Sora couldn't even _faze _Shin'en.

It was time for a new plan.

Sora aimed an overhand chop at Shin'en, but the prince immediately raised his own blade to parry. This is what Sora wanted. The attack had been a feint. Sora quickly drew his blade back and leaped onto Shin'en's keyblade. Using it as a springboard, Sora leaped even higher into the air. He kicked off from a nearby wall and aimed a powerful kick at Shin'en's jaw.

Shin'en raised his keyblade to block the attack, but it was not enough to stop Sora's momentum from overpowering him and sending him thirty feet down to crash onto the cold, hard floor below. Sora landed gracefully on his feet beside the prince and aimed his keyblade at his throat.

Shin'en shunted it aside with his own keyblade and leaped to his feet. But when he got a good look around, it almost made him wish he'd stayed down. A thousand yellow eyes stared coldly at him, hungry for hearts and thirsty for blood. There wasn't a single Nobody to be found.

Sora's Neoshadows were all that remained.

Sora took five steps backward and snapped his fingers. "Kill him." he commanded the Neoshadows. They attacked the prince without question.

Shin'en worked his way through the Heartless as best he could, but it was taking a toll on him. He was not a young man, after all, and he needed a good bit of his magic reserves just to stay healthy. But for every Heartless he destroyed, two more replaced it.

Finally, Shin'en found himself out of energy. He fell to his knees, tired and out of breath. Sora gestured, and the Neoshadows backed away. Sora himself stepped directly in front of Shin'en, keyblade angled at the prince's throat. "Pathetic." he muttered. "Absolutely pathetic. I could kill you right now, and I wouldn't lose a bit of sleep over it. Give me a reason why I shouldn't."

"There is only one reason." Shin'en answered. "You are a dark Keybearer now. You are my apprentice in all but name. If _you_ kill me, you shall be the master. This is something I cannot allow. But if _I_ kill me... that is a different story."

Before Sora could say or do anything, Shin'en plunged the Two Across keyblade into his own heart. As blood flowed from Shin'en's chest, the Neoshadows clamored for the prince's dying heart. Sora looked down upon the dying prince, grinned, and flicked the wrist that held the Darkheart keyblade.

Shin'en's head rolled across the floor and into the clutches of an awaiting Heartless. "Who's the master now?" Sora said triumphantly. He opened a corridor of darkness and left Shin'en's body in the hands of the Heartless.

* * *

Mickey and Qui-Gon maintained a steady pace as they walked to the silver ship. Now, it was only thirty yards away from them. Suddenly, Mickey's sensitive ears picked up the hum of a probe droid.

Before Qui-Gon could open his mouth in warning, Mickey's golden keyblade flashed and sliced the droid vertically down the middle, cleaving it in two. "Wow!" Anakin gasped, impressed by Mickey's blinding speed and impressive leaping ability.

"A probe droid?" Qui-Gon mused, ignoring Mickey as the Keybearer rejoined them. "Danger can't be far behind it."

Mickey and Qui-Gon broke into a run. Anakin struggled to keep up. "Qui-Gon, sir, wait! I'm tired!" he cried.

"Anakin! Drop!" Qui-Gon called as he spotted the Bloodfin gaining on them quickly.

Anakin did as he was told and the Bloodfin passed just over his head as it sped toward Qui-Gon. The rider of the Bloodfin leaped into the air, and Qui-Gon ignited his lightsaber. As the cloaked rider and Qui-Gon dueled, Mickey leaped back to where Anakin was still on the ground. "Let's get you back to the ship." he said, keyblade in hand.

"Go!" Qui-Gon called to them, still dueling with the cloaked assailant. "Tell them to take off!"

Anakin raced to the ship, with Mickey doing his best to stay between the boy and the battle. Anakin reached the ship first, and Mickey leaped over the exit ramp to land right on the deck. The first people they met were Padmé and an ebony-skinned guard named Captain Panaka. "Qui-Gon's in danger!" Mickey exclaimed. Panaka led them all to the ship's cockpit, where Obi-Wan, Riku, and the ship's pilot were waiting.

"Qui-Gon's in trouble." Panaka told the pilot.

"Take off." Obi-Wan said. "Over there. Fly low."

The pilot did as he was told and took off, the exit ramp still down. Qui-Gon leaped onto the ramp and ran inside the ship, leaving the cloaked assailant in the dust of Tatooine.

Only once the ship was safely off the planet did anyone speak. "Are you all right?" Anakin asked as he, Obi-Wan, Mickey, and Riku crowded around him.

"I think so." Qui-Gon replied, still panting and huffing.

"What was it?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"I'm not sure," Qui-Gon answered, "but it was well-trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is it was after the queen."

"Was it Sora?" Riku asked hopefully.

Mickey shook his head. "No. It was someone different. Maybe my senses were wrong. Maybe Sora wasn't on Tatooine after all."

"I wouldn't be too sure." Qui-Gon told them. "It's possible that this assassin was acting under orders. Perhaps Sora sent him."

Everyone went quiet. Riku had already explained the situation to Obi-Wan and the others on the ship, so they knew that Sora had turned to the dark side. If Sora was sending assassins after the queen, it could only mean bad news.

"What are we gonna do about it?" Anakin piped, breaking the silence.

Qui-Gon sighed heavily. "We shall be patient." Suddenly, his thoughts took a different turn. "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi and Riku."

"Hi." Anakin told the two apprentices as he shook their hands. "You're a Jedi too? And a Keybearer?"

Obi-Wan and Riku nodded. "Pleased to meet you." Anakin said excitedly.

"Your Majesty," Riku said, leading his master aside, "I brought this. I thought you might want it when we get back out into space."

Mickey looked to see what Riku was holding. It was his black cloak. Mickey put it on, but left the hood off. "Thanks, Riku." he said. "You're right. We'll be wanting to keep a low profile on Coruscant."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Riku replied before walking away.

* * *

Now, the ship was in deep space, headed for the planet Coruscant. All the introductions had been made, and everyone had found something to occupy themselves with. Padmé and Kairi were talking as they walked restlessly about the ship. "You're a princess?" Padmé asked Kairi.

Kairi nodded. "I'm from the same galaxy as King Mickey, but a different world. I was supposed to marry a prince named Shin'en two days ago, but Sora rescued me. Before he turned to the dark side."

Padmé nodded in understanding. Suddenly, a thought came to her. "Kairi, can you keep a secret?" Kairi nodded, so Padmé went on. "_I'm_ the queen of Naboo."

Kairi was able to tell if someone was lying because of her status as a Princess of Heart, and she detected no lie in Padmé's words. "I thought you were just a handmaiden." she said, confused.

"Everyone but Captain Panaka does. It's for my protection. The person everyone _thinks_ is the queen is my decoy. But you _have_ to keep it a secret. Don't tell anyone. Not even Annie. _Especially_ not Annie."

Kairi nodded again as they entered the next room. Padmé turned on a holoprojector and the blue hologram of an old man flickered into existence. "The death toll is catastrophic!" the hologram exclaimed. "We _must_ bow to their wishes! You _must_ contact me!"

The hologram flickered out of existence. "What was that?" Kairi asked.

"That was Governor Bibble." Padmé said sadly. "He's the governor of Naboo's' capital city, Theed. The Trade Federation is killing our people. Unless we can get to Coruscant and plead our case to the Senate... I don't want to think about it."

Padmé and Kairi turned to leave when they noticed Anakin huddled up in the corner of the room. He looked sad. "You all right?" Padmé asked.

"It's very cold." Anakin said in a very low voice.

Padmé fetched a nearby blanket and wrapped it around Anakin. "You come from a warm planet, Annie." she told him. "A bit too warm for my taste. Space is cold."

"You seem sad." Anakin stated. He had been too far away and lost in his own thoughts to hear Governor Bibble's transmission.

"The queen is worried." Padmé explained, still maintaining her facade as a handmaiden. "Her people are suffering--dying. She must convince the senate to intervene, or...I'm not sure what'll happen."

Anakin reached into his pocket. "I made this for you." He handed Padmé a small pendant. "So you'd remember me." he went on. "I carved it out of a japor snippet. It'll bring you good fortune."

Padmé examined the pendant, turning it over in her hands. "It's beautiful." she told him. "But I don't need this to remember you by." She looked Anakin in the eye and assured him, "Many things will change when we reach the capital, Annie. But my caring for you will remain."

"I care for you too." Anakin told her.

Kairi, who had been watching from where she stood, turned and left the room. She couldn't watch anymore, knowing that she was still far away from the one _she_ cared about. She had no desire to watch others be happy while her heart was still aching for the man she loved. She wondered if Sora had felt this way when he was gone those years ago.

It seemed likely.

* * *

**A/N: There it is, another chapter just for you! Hope I didn't disappoint anyone. And there you go, Lost Pajama Boy: Sora lopped Shin'en's head off! Not to worry, though. There is still lots of action and adventure ahead as King Mickey and co. reach the capital planet of the Stat Wars galaxy: Coruscant!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off!**


	11. Coruscant

****

A/N: Hello! I don't have too much to say right now, so let's just get on with the story:

* * *

**Chapter 10: Coruscant**

_"Two words: you guys ain't heroes_."

--_Philoctetes_

The silver starship was now flying directly above Coruscant, and everyone had come to the cockpit to get a better view. "Coruscant," the pilot narrated, "the entire planet is one big city. There's Chancellor Valorum's shuttle. And look over there. Senator Palpatine is waiting for us."

"Who's Senator Palpatine?" Donald asked.

"He's the senator that represents Naboo in the senate." the pilot explained.

"Sorry I asked." Donald quacked, no less confused.

Kairi was the only one beginning to understand how politics worked in this galaxy. The galaxy, for the most part, was part of the Galactic Republic and governed by the senate. The senate was made up of several different representatives from each planet, who voted on major decisions. The senate was headed by a Supreme Chancellor, who was at present a man named Valorum.

The ship landed and everyone exited. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were first, followed by Mickey and Riku. Padmé's decoy was still posing as the queen, and was flanked by Padmé and Captain Panaka as she fell into step behind them. Jar Jar, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad followed.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stopped in front of Senator Palpatine and bowed. Everyone followed suit--except for Mickey and Riku. Palpatine took notice of this, and his eyes locked with Mickey's for a moment.

Everyone stepped aside as the decoy queen stepped forward to face Palpatine. "It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty." Palpatine said politely. "With the communications breakdown, we've been very concerned. I'm anxious to hear your report on the situation."

Mickey raised a brow. It was obvious that he did not trust Palpatine at all. Palpatine only met his stare with a warm smile before tuning to a grey-haired man on his left. "May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum." he said.

Mickey turned to look at Valorum as the Chancellor greeted them. "Welcome, Your Highness. It's an honor to finally meet you in person."

"Thank you, Supreme Chancellor." the decoy told Valorum as they began walking toward an awaiting air taxi.

"I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation." Valorum stated. "I've called for a special session of the senate to hear your position."

"I'm grateful for your concern, Chancellor." the decoy returned in an emotionless voice.

Palpatine strode beside the decoy and told her, "There is a question of procedure, but I'm confident we can overcome it."

A little behind the others, Qui-Gon turned to Mickey and Riku. "I must speak with the Jedi Council immediately. The situation has become much more complicated."

"I hope we're not causing you any trouble." Mickey replied.

"No," Qui-Gon assured him, "but the Council will be interested in meeting you. We've never been honored with the presence of a Keybearer before."

"Your Majesty," Kairi spoke up, "can I go with Padmé and Anakin to the senate?"

"I don't see why not." Mickey answered with a smile. "As long as Donald and Goofy go with you. In fact, I want you to go to the senate as my advocate."

Kairi nodded and ran to the air taxi. "What about me, King Mickey?" Launchpad asked.

"You go with the ship." Mickey instructed him. "You'll have to learn how to fly vessels from this galaxy if we're ever gonna get home."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad saluted. "Yes, Your Majesty." the all said before going where Mickey had instructed.

Palpatine, Padmé, Anakin, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy boarded the air taxi, which sped toward the senate building.

* * *

Padmé had resumed her role as Queen Amidala, and was sitting in Senator Palpatine's office. Kairi had come with her. Palpatine looked Kairi over and gave a disapproving snort. "What business has she here?" he asked Padmé.

"She is an advocate for King Mickey Mouse." Amidala stated. She now spoke in the same cold, emotionless voice that her decoy had used.

"Who?" Palpatine asked. Amidala forgot that Palpatine and Mickey had not been properly introduced.

"The short being with the large ears and black cloak you saw upon our arrival." Amidala answered. "He is new to Coruscant and is curious about the planet. Kairi will be accompanying me until King Mickey Mouse is satisfied and instructs her otherwise."

Palpatine gave a submissive shrug and said, "Queen Amidala, the situation here is worse than we had previously thought. There is no more civility, only politics. The Republic is not what it once was. The senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates. There is no interest in the common good. I must be frank, Your Majesty. There is little chance the senate will act on the invasion."

Kairi did not like the sound of that, but Amidala displayed no such emotion. "Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope." she stated.

Palpatine was not convinced. "If I may say so, Your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real power. He is mired by baseless accusations of corruption. The bureaucrats are in charge now."

Kairi didn't like Palpatine any more than Mickey did. There was something about him... something _dark_. But there was a weight of truth to his every word, and the same question formed in her mind that Amidala asked aloud. "What options have we?"

"Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger Supreme Chancellor," Palpatine suggested, "one who could control the bureaucrats... and give us justice. You _could_ call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."

"He has been our strongest supporter!" Amidala argued.

Palpatine shook his head. "Our only other choice would be to submit a plea to the courts."

"The courts take even longer to decide than the senate!" Amidala insisted. Kairi was beginning to wonder how well this system worked. She had to admit she liked the monarchy system better. King Mickey would have known what to do before the situation got this bad. Then again, this galaxy had no one as wise as Mickey who was not a Jedi.

"Our people are _dying_, Senator." Amidala went on. "We must do something _quickly_ to stop the Federation."

Palpatine shook his head again. "To be realistic, Your Majesty, I think we're going to have to accept Federation control for the time being."

Kairi looked to Amidala. Surely she wouldn't agree to that!

"That is something I cannot do." Amidala stated with finality that would have impressed Riku.

* * *

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Mickey, and Riku were standing in the middle of the Jedi Council chamber, surrounded by beings far more wise and powerful than most people could ever hope to be.

"Who are these that you bring before us?" an ebony-skinned Jedi named Mace Windu asked.

"Master Windu, I would like you to meet King Mickey Mouse and his apprentice, Riku." Qui-Gon introduced them. "They are Keybearers from a world beyond our galaxy."

There was silence as the Jedi Council contemplated what this meant. "This cannot be so." Mace concluded. "The Keybearers have been extinct for over a decade."

"Hmm." grunted a small green Jedi named Yoda. Mickey took note that Yoda, although just as small as _he_ was, was the most powerful Jedi in the room. "If Keybearers they claim to be, then their keys they must present."

Mickey and Riku both summoned their keyblades. Again, there was silence.

"What brings a Keybearer and his apprentice to our galaxy?" Mace Windu questioned.

"We're looking for a friend." Mickey replied. "Another Keybearer named Sora. He... fell to the dark side. I believe he's somewhere in this galaxy."

Mickey explained his situation, beginning from when he had first arrived at Hollow Bastion after learning that Sora had fallen to darkness. When he had finished his tale, Yoda's ears curled in thought. "Hmm. This Shin'en... eliminated, is he?"

Mickey shook his head. "That's another reason we need to find Sora. He's the only one who knows where Shin'en is hiding." Mickey, of course, had no way of knowing that Shin'en was already dead.

Yoda eyed Mickey for a moment. "Great wisdom, I sense in you. But no knowledge of the Force."

Mickey again shook his head. "I know the Force exists, but I don't follow it. Just like you know your hearts exist, but you don't follow them. You can do things I could never do, but _I_ can do things _you_ can't do. It's our differences that separate us, but also unite us."

Everyone in the room nodded. Yoda chuckled softly. "A blessing to us all, you are."

"We would offer to help you," Mace said grimly, "but we have no idea where your friend is. As a Keybearer, your senses are just as strong as any Jedi's. We can't tell you anything you don't already know."

"I wouldn't ask for it if you could." Mickey told him. "Helping others should always come before asking others for help. I know about the situation on Naboo, and I think Riku and I could offer our services."

Yoda glared hard at Riku. "The dark side, I sense in you."

Riku said nothing. Mickey spoke for him. "Riku has been cursed by darkness ever since the keyblade chose him. He uses it as a powerful weapon of the light."

Mace nodded in understanding. "I know what that's like. Perhaps you _can_ help us." He turned to Qui-Gon. "What have you to report?"

Qui-Gon gave his account of the mission, filling in the gaps in Mickey's story. He finished by talking about the mysterious cloaked assassin. "He was trained in the Jedi arts. My only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord. It's highly possible he allied himself with Sora."

"Impossible." said another Jedi by the name of Ki-Adi-Mundi. "The Sith have been extinct for a millennium."

"The Keybearers were supposed to be extinct too." Mickey reminded him.

"I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing." Mace added.

"Ah," Yoda mused, "hard to see, the dark side is."

"We will use all of our resources to unravel this mystery." Mace assured him. "We will discover the identity of your attacker. May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan and Riku turned to go, but noticed that their masters had stayed behind. Mickey looked up at Qui-Gon expectantly. "Master Qui-Gon," Yoda inquired, "more to say have you?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "With your permission, my master, I have encountered a vergence in the Force."

Yoda's ears perked up with interest. "A vergence, you say?"

"Located around a person?" Mace asked.

"A boy." Qui-Gon explained. "His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life-form. It is possible he was conceived by the midi-chlorians."

The Council members looked at each other in surprise. "You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force." Mace stated. "You believe it's this boy?"

"I don't presume to--"

"But you do." Yoda cut him off. "Revealed, your opinion is."

"I request the boy be tested, Master." Qui-Gon entreated.

"Oh?" Yoda asked, ears perked up. "Trained as a Jedi you request for him, hmm?"

"Finding him was the will of the Force." Qui-Gon reasoned. "I have no doubt of that."

"What does the Keybearer say of this matter?" Mace asked.

Mickey glanced from Mace to Yoda to Qui-Gon and back again. "I don't have the right to say anything. I'm not a Jedi. I shouldn't interfere with Jedi affairs."

"A wise answer." Yoda observed.

Mace sighed. "Bring the boy before us, then."

Qui-Gon and Mickey bowed before the Council members before leaving with their apprentices. "Your Majesty, what are you doing?" Riku asked. "We can't help these people. We have our own problems."

"Riku, how many times have I told you we should _always_ help those in need?" Mickey replied. "They need us. Besides, if we actively help these people, it might bring Sora out of hiding."

"Sorry, Your Majesty." Riku apologized. "I shouldn't have questioned you."

"Don't apologize, Riku." Mickey told him. "Act."

Qui-Gon looked down at Mickey with a smile. "You display wisdom to rival Master Yoda." he said.

"I had a very wise teacher." Mickey replied humbly. "Now let's go find Anakin."

* * *

Kairi was walking around the halls of the senatorial chambers. The meeting of the senate wasn't for another fifteen minutes, so Kairi took the opportunity to explore. She had insisted on going alone, despite Donald and Goofy's objections. She hadn't gotten far when Anakin came running up to her. "Kairi, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Annie?" Kairi asked, puzzled by how nervous the boy looked.

"I heard people saying you were King Mickey's advocate." Anakin told her. "So do you have clearance to go see Padmé?"

"Sure I do." Kairi assured him. "Come on. We'll go together."

"Thanks, Kairi." Anakin replied as Kairi led him through the halls of the building to where she knew Padmé was.

It wasn't long before they reached the door to Padmé's chambers. A guard was posted there, as expected. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm the advocate for King Mickey Mouse." Kairi told her. She looked down at Anakin. "He wants to see Padmé."

Word had already spread throughout the senate building about the queen's friends she had picked up along her journey. The guard immediately produced a comlink from his belt and said, "The boy is here to see Padmé."

"_Let him in_." said a woman on the other end of the comlink. The door slid open and the guard stepped aside, allowing them to enter.

As soon as Kairi and Anakin entered the room, a woman in a handmaiden's uniform came to greet them. "I'm sorry, Annie, but Padmé's not here right now. Advocate of King Mickey Mouse, you honor us with your presence." Kairi was a little surprised at how respectfully she had been treated since her arrival on Coruscant. She wondered if these people knew how powerful and influential King Mickey was, or if they were only being polite.

"Who is it?" asked Queen Amidala as she stepped forth from a different room. Kairi was still the only one who knew that Queen Amidala and Padmé were the same person, so she kept quiet.

"Anakin Skywalker to see Padmé, Your Highness." the handmaiden answered. "Escorted by the advocate of King Mickey Mouse."

"I've sent Padmé on an errand." Queen Amidala lied. Neither her face nor tone of voice reflected that she was not telling the truth.

Anakin believed her. "I'm on my way to the Jedi Temple. To start my training, I hope. I may never see her again, so I came to say goodbye." Kairi wondered how Queen Amidala would react to this.

Amidala completely hid whatever she was feeling. "We will tell her for you. We are sure her heart goes with you."

Anakin bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Your Highness." Kairi then led him out of the room, to where Mickey and Qui-Gon were waiting to pick him up.

* * *

Donald and Goofy looked around. They had never seen so many people in one place before. "Gawrsh," Goofy commented, "I'm kinda nervous."

The senate auditorium was a giant room lined with floating pods. In each pod, a number of representatives from a single planet sat. Chancellor Valorum's pod was larger than the others and was stationed in the middle. When a senator wished to speak, their pod would float in front of Valorum's pod and they would say their piece.

Kairi, Donald, and Goofy were sitting in the same pod as Padmé Amidala and Senator Palpatine. Kairi was only there to observe, and Donald and Goofy were there to protect her.

Valorum was the first to speak. "The chair recognizes the senator from the sovereign system of Naboo."

Palpatine stepped to the front of the pod and pressed a button, which caused the pod to move forward until it was directly in front of Valorum's. "Supreme Chancellor," Palpatine began, "delegates of the senate: a tragedy has occurred, which started right here with the taxation of trade routes and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation."

Another pod floated forward, containing representatives of the Trade Federation. "This is outrageous!" exclaimed the viceroy of the Federation, Nute Gunray. "I object to the senator's statements!"

"The chair does not recognize the senator from the Trade Federation at this time." Chancellor Valorum stated harshly.

"To state our allegations," Palpatine went on, "I present Queen Amidala, recently elected ruler of the Naboo, who speaks on our behalf."

Palpatine stepped back and took his seat on the pod while Amidala stepped to the front. "Honorable representatives of the Republic," she addressed the senators, "I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by the droid armies of the Trade--"

"I object!" Nute Gunray shouted. "There is no proof! This is incredible. We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth!"

A third pod floated into the center, containing senators from Malastare. "The Congress of Malastare concurs with the honorable delegate from the Trade Federation." said one of the senators. "A commission must be appointed."

"The point--" Valorum began, but he was quickly cut off as one of his aides whispered into his ear.

"Enter the bureaucrat." Palpatine whispered to Amidala. "The true rulers of the Republic. And on the payroll of the Trade Federation, I might add. This is where Chancellor Valorum's strength will disappear."

Kairi turned to Donald and Goofy. "I don't think this system works." she whispered. "If this was happening to Disney Castle or Radiant Garden, King Mickey would have fixed it by now."

"Uh-huh." Goofy agreed.

"You said it." Donald quacked.

Chancellor Valorum's voice filled the entire auditorium. "The point is conceded. Will you defer your motion to allow a commission to explore the validity of your accusation?"

"I will _not_ defer!" Amidala exclaimed. "I've come before you to resolve the attack on our sovereignty _now_. I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee!" Amidala took a deep breath. "If this body is not capable of action, I suggest _new_ leadership is needed. I move for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership."

Kairi couldn't believe it. Was the system really so ineffective that they threw leaders away like tissues? _One thing's for sure_, Kairi decided, _if Sora and I _do_ get married and rule Radiant Garden_, _I won't let the government get this bad_. She had to chastise herself mentally for finding an excuse to think about marrying Sora again.

The senate was sent into an uproar. Many were chanting, "Vote now! Vote now!"

Chancellor Valorum collapsed in his seat. One of the so-called bureaucrats stood up and shouted, "Order!"

"Now, they will elect a new Chancellor." Palpatine whispered to Amidala. "A strong Chancellor. One who will not let our tragedy continue."

* * *

Anakin was now in the Jedi Council chamber, being tested by the Council members. Mace Windu held a view screen in his hand, which Anakin could not see. As objects flashed on the screen, Anakin had to see whether he could sense what the objects were. This was a difficult challenge, and he had no idea how he was doing.

At last, Mace turned off the viewscreen and looked at Yoda. "Hmm." Yoda murmured thoughtfully before turning to Anakin. "How feel you?"

"Cold, sir." Anakin replied. It was the truth--he was from a very warm planet, and was not accustomed to mild climates like that of Coruscant.

"Afraid, are you?" Yoda questioned further.

"No, sir." Anakin answered.

Yoda pointed an accusing finger at him. "See through you, we can."

"Be mindful of your feelings." Mace told him.

"Your thoughts dwell on your mother." Ki-Adi-Mundi stated.

"I miss her." Anakin responded. Surely they could understand that.

"Hmm. Afraid to lose her, I think, hmm?" Yoda probed.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Anakin asked. Were Jedi not allowed to have mothers?

"_Everything_." Yoda said emphatically. "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to _suffering_." Yoda paused and allowed Anakin to process his words before continuing. "I sense much fear in you."

* * *

Kairi and Amidala were looking out the window of the latter's senatorial chamber, each thinking about their own problems. Donald and Goofy were standing just outside the door. Jar Jar was in the room with Kairi and Amidala. He approached Amidala nervously. "Yousa thinking yousa people gonna die?" he asked.

"I don't know." Amidala replied sadly.

"Gungans get pasted too, eh?" Jar Jar asked. That was the name of his species.

"I hope not." Amidala answered. Her tone made Kairi wonder if Amidala was paying attention to the conversation at all.

"Gungans no dyin' without a fight." Jar Jar told her. "Wesa warriors. Wesa got a _grand_ army. Dat's why you no liken us, mesa thinks."

Kairi was about to ask what Jar Jar meant by that when Captain Panaka called, "Your Highness!"

Both Amidala and Kairi turned around. Kairi was disappointed to find Palpatine following Captain Panaka into the room. "Your Highness," Panaka continued, "Senator Palpatine has been nominated to succeed Valorum as Supreme Chancellor."

"A surprise, to be sure," Palpatine added quickly, "but a welcome one. Your Majesty, if I am elected, I promise to put an end to corruption."

Kairi frowned. Palpatine sounded like he was campaigning already. "Who else has been nominated?" Amidala asked.

"Bail Antilles of Alderaan and Ainlee Teem of Malastare." Panaka answered.

"I feel confident our situation will create a strong sympathy vote for us." Palpatine assured the queen and advocate.

_You mean for you_. Kairi thought, but she said nothing.

"I _will _be Chancellor." Palpatine continued.

Amidala didn't feel any better. "I fear by the time you have control of the bureaucrats, Senator, there'll be nothing left of our people--our way of life."

Palpatine looked grave. "I understand your concern, Your Majesty. Unfortunately, the Federation has possession of our planet."

Amidala thought for a moment, then said, "Senator, this is your arena. I feel I must return to mine."

Palpatine looked at Amidala questioningly. "I've decided to go back to Naboo." Amidala finished.

"Go back?" Palpatine repeated. "But Your Majesty, be realistic. They'll force you to sign the treaty!"

"I will sign to treaty, Senator." Amidala returned. "My fate will be no different than that of our people." She turned to Panaka. "Captain."

"Your Highness?" Panaka answered.

"Ready my ship." With this, Amidala stormed out the door. Kairi, Panaka, and Jar Jar followed her, and Donald and Goofy joined them once they got outside.

"Please, Your Majesty," Palpatine pleaded after them, "stay here where it's safe."

Amidala turned to face Palpatine again. "It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions. I pray you will bring sanity and compassion back to the senate." And that was the end of the matter. Amidala and her _true_ friends left to find Amidala's ship.

* * *

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Mickey, and Riku now stood with Anakin before the Council. "The Force _is_ strong with him." Ki-Adi-Mundi told them.

"He is to be trained, then?" Qui-Gon asked hopefully.

"No." Mace Windu stated firmly. "He will not be trained."

Qui-Gon couldn't believe it. "No?" he repeated.

"He is too old." Mace explained. Mickey had a sinking feeling this would happen. Jedi took force-sensitive beings for training at a very early age. The oldest, Ki-Adi-Mundi, had been four years old when he was accepted.

"He _is_ the chosen one." Qui-Gon argued. "You _must_ see it."

"Hmm." Yoda grunted. "Clouded, this boy's future is."

"What do you mean he's too old?" Riku demanded. "I was fifteen when Mickey took me to be his apprentice."

"And I see that he has still not taught you proper self-control." Mace countered.

"Riku, we can't interfere." Mickey reminded his apprentice. "Their laws are different than ours."

Riku hung his head in shame. Qui-Gon stepped forward. "I will train him, then." Obi-Wan looked at him skeptically as he placed his hands on Anakin's shoulders. "I take Anakin as my Padawan learner." he continued.

"An apprentice you _have_, Qui-Gon." Yoda reminded him. "Impossible to take on a second."

"The code forbids it." Mace added.

"Obi-Wan is ready." Qui-Gon insisted.

"I am ready to face the trials." Obi-Wan told them. If it meant helping Qui-Gon, he was ready to try.

"Our own counsel will we keep on who is ready." Yoda argued.

"He is headstrong," Qui-Gon pointed out, "and he has much to learn of the living Force, but he is capable. There is little more he can learn from me."

"Young Skywalker's fate will be decided later." Yoda decided.

"Now is not the time for this." Mace agreed. "The senate is voting for a new Supreme Chancellor and Queen Amidala is returning home, which will put pressure on the Trade Federation and could widen the confrontation."

"And draw out the queen's attacker." Ki-Adi-Mundi added. "Which, in turn, could draw out that wayward friend of yours."

"Go with the queen to Naboo and discover the identity of this dark warrior." Mace instructed Qui-Gon. "This is the clue we need to unravel the mystery of the Sith." He then turned to Mickey. "We are not forcing you to go with him, but help _is_ needed. And if our suspicion is true, then two Jedi alone are no match for a Sith Lord _and_ a rogue Keybearer."

"We'll go." Mickey told him.

"May the Force be with you." Yoda said.

"And may our hearts guide us to victory." Mickey added before leaving with the others.

* * *

Qui-Gon, Mickey, and their apprentices were the first to reach the docking bay where Amidala's ship waited. Riku helped Launchpad, who had stayed on the ship, to load the cargo as he listened to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan argue.

"It's not disrespect, Master, it's the truth." Obi-Wan told his master.

"From your point of view." Qui-Gon countered.

"The boy is dangerous." Obi-Wan insisted. "They all sense it. Why can't you?"

"His fate is uncertain." Qui-Gon reminded his apprentice. "He's not dangerous. The Council will decide Anakin's future. That should be enough for you. Now get on board."

Riku smirked. Obi-Wan was obviously someone who always operated exactly by the book. Qui-Gon was more like King Mickey and himself, bending the rules and sometimes ignoring them altogether to do what's right.

"Qui-Gon, sir," Anakin suddenly piped up, "I don't want to be a problem."

"You won't be, Annie." Qui-Gon assured him, kneeling down to look him in the eye. "I'm not allowed to train you, so I want you to watch me and be mindful. And any wisdom you learn from King Mickey will help you as well. Always remember: your focus determines your reality. Stay close to either me or Mickey and you'll be safe."

"Master, sir, I hard Yoda talking about midi-chlorians. I've been wondering: what _are_ midi-chlorians?"

"Midi-chlorians are a microscopic life-form that resides within all living cells." Qui-Gon explained.

"They live inside me?" Anakin asked.

"Inside your cells, yes." Qui-Gon assured him. "And we are symbionts with them."

"Symbionts?" Anakin repeated.

"Life-forms living together for mutual advantage." Qui-Gon clarified. "Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, you'll hear them speaking to you."

"I don't understand." Anakin said, shaking his head.

"With time and training, Annie, you will. You will."

As Anakin boarded the ship, Queen Amidala, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and Panaka reached the docking bay. "Your Majesty, it is our pleasure to serve and protect you." Qui-Gon told Amidala.

"I welcome your help." Amidala replied. "Senator Palpatine fears that the Federation means to destroy me."

"I assure you I will not allow that to happen." Qui-Gon promised.

Mickey clenched his fists upon hearing Palpatine's name. He approached Kairi and asked, "So, what did you learn?"

"Democracy is a hard system to maintain." Kairi answered. "I don't think it actually works."

Mickey nodded in agreement. "What did you think of Palpatine?" he questioned.

"Being around him is a lot like being around Shin'en." Kairi told him. "I don't trust him at all."

"Does the queen?" Mickey probed.

"She does, but he doesn't have any influence over her." Kairi replied.

Mickey noticed the sadness in Kairi's eyes. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"I'm all right." Kairi assured him. When Mickey's gaze did not relent, she confessed. "It's just... we've been to two different planets in this galaxy already, and Sora hasn't been on either of them. I want him back. More than anything." Tears stung her eyes as she spoke.

"That'll happen sooner than you think, Kairi." Mickey assured her.

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" Kairi wondered.

"You'll see." Mickey replied. "Let's just get to Naboo and help with the situation there."

Kairi nodded and boarded the ship.

* * *

On Naboo, Nute Gunray and Rune Haako were speaking to a hologram of Darth Sidious. "Is the planet secure?" the Dark Lord demanded.

"We have taken over the last pockets of primitive life-forms." Nute assured him. "We are in complete control of the planet now."

"Good." Darth Sidious mused. "I will see to it that in the senate, things stay as they are. I am sending my apprentice, Darth Maul, to join you."

"Yes, my lord." Nute submitted as the hologram winked out of existence.

"A Sith here?" Rune questioned.

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh! Everybody's going to Naboo! And Kairi doesn't think the democratic system works! Will she ever be reunited with Sora? Will Mickey and Riku be prepared to face a Sith Lord _and_ Sora? Will I ever stop asking questions you don't know? The answer is a resounding MAYBE. **

**Shire Folk, I know the fight with Shin'en in the last chapter was disturbing. But I wanted to prove just how dark Sora has become, and how difficult it will be to get him back. I'm sorry they were only on Coruscant for one chapter, but that's all I could think to put in. **

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	12. The Battle of Naboo

**A/N: I'm back! Did anyone miss me? I thought not. And Shire Folk... you were right the first time. I have all these chapters written in advance, and any future stories I may decide to post will be updated MUCH slower. Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Battle of Naboo**

_"I know now_,_ without a doubt_,_ Kingdom Hearts_. . ._ is light_!"

_--Sora_

Darth Maul received the order to go to Naboo just before Sora returned from wherever it was he had been. "Where were you?" Darth Maul jeered. "I had to face the Jedi alone."

"Shut up." Sora retorted. "I don't care about Jedi. All I want is to find the two Keybearers and kill them. If you're not helping with that, then I'm killing you now."

"I saw one." Darth Maul told him. "He was short and had enormous ears."

"King Mickey." Sora hissed. "Where are they now?"

"They are headed to the planet Naboo." Darth Maul informed him. "We will travel there together. I can destroy the Jedi and you can do whatever you wish."

"Works for me." Sora decided. "Let's go."

Darth Maul nodded and the Sith ship took off, headed for Naboo.

* * *

Amidala's silver ship was preparing to land on Naboo. Panaka was still stressing his displeasure. "As soon as we land, the Federation will arrest you and force you to sign the treaty."

"I agree." Qui-Gon added. "I'm not sure what you wish to accomplish by this."

"I will take back what's ours." Amidala answered firmly.

"There are too few of us, Your Highness." Panaka argued. "We have no army."

"And I can only protect you." Qui-Gon reminded her. "I can't fight a war for you."

Amidala looked at Mickey, who only shook his head. "Keybearers are no more powerful than Jedi. And Donald and Goofy are powerful, but they're not enough."

"What do you mean we're not enough?" Donald quacked.

"Would you like to fight an army of battle droids all by yourself?" Riku asked.

"Bring 'em on!" Donald shouted. "I'll tear 'em apart!"

"Easy, Donald." Goofy reminded his friend. "Let's not get carried away. Mickey's right."

"Aww." Donald whined.

Riku looked around. "Two Keybearers, two Jedi, a knight, a magician, and a handful of guards. Not what I'd call an invincible army. Or any kind of army, for that matter. If we want to _win_, we need more soldiers."

"Jar Jar Binks." Amidala said, turning to the Gungan. "I need your help."

Meanwhile, Launchpad and the ship's pilot were sitting in the cockpit. Launchpad was not allowed to fly the ship after he'd almost wrecked it, but he was still allowed to observe and watch the monitors. "Hey, I got somethin' huge over here." he told the pilot.

"That's a droid control ship." The pilot sighed. "They've probably spotted us. We don't have much time."

The silver ship landed beside a lake in a dense forest of Naboo. After everyone had left the vessel (except Launchpad and the pilot) Jar Jar dove into the water to find the Gungan city. Obi-Wan reported this to Qui-Gon.

"Good." Qui-Gon said.

"Do you think the queen's idea will work?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The Gungans will not be easily swayed." Qui-Gon answered. "And we cannot use our power to help her."

"I'm... I'm sorry about my behavior, Master." Obi-Wan apologized. "It's not my place to disagree with you about the boy. And I am grateful you think I'm ready to take the trials."

"You've been a good apprentice, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon assured him. "And you're a much wiser man than I am. I foresee you will become a great Jedi Knight."

At that moment, Jar Jar emerged from the water. "There's nobody there." he reported. "The Gungan city is deserted. Some kinda fight, mesa thinks."

"Do you think they've been taken to the camps?" Obi-Wan asked.

Riku looked around at the forest, large parts of which were recently cleared. "Looks like they were wiped out." he commented.

"Mesa no think so." Jar Jar told him.

Mickey looked up at the Gungan hopefully. "Do you know where they are?"

"When in trouble," Jar Jar recounted, "Gungans go to sacred place. Mesa show you! Come on! Mesa show you!"

Everyone followed Jar Jar through the marshes, wondering when this would all end.

* * *

It wasn't long before Jar Jar led the others to the Gungan sacred place. It was swarming with creatures that resembled Jar Jar, but didn't look quite so simple-minded. Many were holding spears.

One of the Gungans, named Captain Tarpals, led them through the crowd to the Gungan leader, a froglike creature named Boss Nass. "Your Honor," Tarpals announced, "Queen Amidala of the Naboo."

"Jar Jar Binks." Boss Nass said in a booming bass voice. "Who's da uss-en uthers?"

Kairi looked around. She was standing beside Padmé, who was again disguised as the queen's handmaiden. The decoy queen stepped forward to address Boss Nass. "I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo." the decoy stated. "I come before you in peace."

"Ah," Boss Nass mused, "Naboo biggen. Yousa bringen da Mackineeks. Yousa all bombad." Kairi didn't really understand what Boss Nass was saying, but it was obvious he didn't like the people of Naboo.

The decoy queen continued to speak. "We have searched you out because we wish to form an alliance."

"Your Honor." Padmé cut her off as she stepped forward. Kairi was surprised. Was she going to reveal her identity now, after all that secrecy?

Boss Nass gave Padmé a disapproving glare. "Whosa this?"

"_I_ am Queen Amidala." Padmé said. Everyone's eyes went wide in shock, but Anakin's looked like they were going to pop out of his head. Kairi had to smile.

Padmé turned to the decoy. "This is my decoy. My protection. My loyal bodyguard. I'm sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself." She turned back to Boss Nass. "Although we do not always agree, Your Honor, our two great societies have always lived in peace."

"Ah." Boss Nass pondered.

"The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build." Padmé continued. "If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever. I ask you to help us. No, I _beg_ you to help us." With this, Padmé dropped to her knees. "We are your humble servants."

Following Padmé's lead, everyone, even King Mickey, got down on one knee and looked at Boss Nass pleadingly. "Our fate is in your hands." Padmé finished.

"Mmm." Boss Nass contemplated, stroking his large chin. After a moment of consideration, he laughed. "Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans? Mesa like-a dis. Maybe... wesa... bein friends." Boss Nass then blubbered, his way of saying that a decision was final. Everyone cheered. Now they had an army to fight with.

* * *

Sora looked around Theed Palace. He and Darth Maul had just arrived, and were anxious to see how things were coming along. Darth Maul explained the situation to Sora as they traversed the halls. "The Trade Federation has battle droids all over the planet. Queen Amidala will soon have no choice but to sign the treaty."

"I don't care about your political maneuvering." Sora barked. "What does this have to do with the Keybearers?"

"Everything." Darth Maul answered. "They have sided with Queen Amidala and seek to protect her. If you help us capture the queen, the Keybearers are sure to follow."

"All right. I'll help. But if this turns out to be a trick, I'll run you through."

"Fair enough." Darth Maul conceded. "Now we are going to meet the leaders of the Trade Federation."

"I want a look at the battle droids." Sora stated.

"All in time." Darth Maul replied. "There is Nute Gunray now."

Sora took one look at the slimy Neimoidian and instantly thought, _Pathetic_.

"Greetings, Lord Maul." Nute said politely. "I see you brought a friend."

"He is no friend of mine." Darth Maul retorted. "Our goals are merely aligned. He has offered to help capture the queen."

"Excellent." Nute observed. "Let us adjourn to the next room and contact Lord Sidious."

As Sora and Darth Maul were led to the next room, Darth Maul pointed at one of the B1 battle droids stationed at the door. "That is a battle droid."

Sora looked over the skinny, skeletal frame of the droid and muttered, "That thing won't last two seconds against a Keybearer."

"Do you have an alternative?" Darth Maul asked.

"I do." With this, Sora snapped his fingers. A Shadow Heartless appeared before him, its antennae twitching attentively. "This is a Heartless." Sora informed Darth Maul. "Strong, obedient, and with greater numbers than you could ever imagine."

Darth Maul gave an approving nod. "Very well. We shall send them to search for the queen."

Sora looked down at the Shadow. "Go." he told it. It quickly scampered away. "That Heartless will go out into the city and multiply. Then they will search for the queen."

"Remarkable." Darth Maul murmured before the shimmering hologram of Darth Sidious appeared in the center of the room.

"How goes the search?" Darth Sidious hissed.

"We've sent our patrols." Nute Gunray assured him. "We already located their starship in the swamp. It won't be long, my lord."

"This is an unexpected move for her." Darth Sidious said with a scowl. "It's too aggressive. Lord Maul, be mindful. Let them make the first move."

"Yes, my master." Darth Maul submitted as the hologram disappeared. He turned to Sora. "Now we must wait until your Heartless or our droids find Queen Amidala."

"Who's the stiff?" Sora asked.

"That is my master, Darth Sidious." Darth Maul explained. "He is the mastermind behind the entire war. To disobey him is to invoke my wrath."

Sora shook his head. "You're too valuable for me to kill right now. I don't want to provoke you yet." he took a deep breath. "Fine. We'll wait."

* * *

Sora wasn't the only one waiting. Kairi and her friends eagerly awaited the arrival of a few allies from Naboo. Jar Jar Binks was posted as a lookout. At last, he cried out, "Theysa here!"

Anakin rushed to report this news to Padmé, Kairi, Qui-Gon, Mickey, Obi-Wan, and Riku, who were waiting beside a transport. "They're here!" he shouted.

"Good, they made it." Padmé commented as Captain Panaka came to report the situation. "What is the situation?" Padmé asked him.

"Almost everyone's in camps." Panaka reported. "A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance movement. I brought back as many of their leaders as I could. The Federation's army is also much larger than we thought, and much stronger. Black creatures were spotted crawling around the camps. The guards' weapons were reportedly useless."

"Heartless." Mickey realized. "Sora _is_ working with the Trade Federation."

Panaka had no idea what Heartless were, but from the sound of eyewitness accounts and Mickey's words, they were tougher than battle droids. "Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think we can win." he told Padmé.

"The battle is a diversion." Padmé reminded him. "The Gungans must draw the droid army away from the cities. R2?" Upon this command, R2-D2 displayed a three-dimensional map of Theed Palace. "We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a diversion. Then we can enter the palace and capture the viceroy. Without the viceroy, they will be lost and confused. What do you think, Master Jedi?"

"The viceroy will be well-guarded." Qui-Gon pointed out.

"The difficulty is getting into the throne room." Panaka observed. "Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem."

"What about Sora and the Heartless?" Kairi asked.

"Riku and I will take care of Sora when the time comes." Mickey assured her. "Donald and Goofy can handle the Heartless after we're gone. Once we get Sora back to the light, the Heartless should disappear."

"There is a possibility," Qui-Gon said, "with this diversion, many Gungans will be killed."

"Wesa ready to do our-sen part." Boss Nass promised.

"We have a plan which should immobilize the droid army." Padmé told them. "We will send what pilots we have to knock out the droid control ship orbiting the planet."

"A well-conceived plan." Qui-Gon replied, "However, there's great risk. The weapons in your fighters may not penetrate the shields."

"There's an even bigger danger." Obi-Wan added. "If the viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army."

"That is why we must not fail to get the viceroy." Padmé stated. "Everything depends on it."

* * *

In Theed Palace, Sora and Darth Maul were walking with Nute Gunray, talking to a hologram of Darth Sidious. The Heartless scouts had discovered Queen Amidala's movements and Sora relayed this information to Darth Sidious.

"She is more foolish than I thought." Sidious murmured.

"We are sending more troops to meet this army assembling near the swamp." Nute informed him. "It appears to be made up of primitives."

"This will work to our advantage." Sidious mused.

"I have your approval to proceed then, my lord?" Nute asked.

"Wipe them out." Sidious instructed him. "All of them." With this Sidious's hologram again winked out of existence.

"What shall we do?" Nute wondered.

Sora thought for a moment. "Send the droid armies to wipe out the primitive army." he told them. "The Heartless will stay here."

"Are you certain?" Nute questioned. "Theed Palace is already a virtual hive of the creatures. Surely you could spare--"

"I _said_ the heartless will _stay_." Sora barked. He looked around. Several Shadows were crawling along the walls and ceiling of the room. "Unless you'd rather take it up with _them_."

The Shadows' antennae twitched in anticipation. Nute shook his head. "Very well. The Heartless stay."

"I thought you might say that." Sora said with a smirk.

* * *

Just outside the palace courtyard, the small strike team of Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Mickey, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Padmé, Kairi, the decoy queen, Captain Panaka, and a handful of pilots that included Launchpad began their infiltration. Anakin was also with them, and Qui-Gon turned to him to instruct him, "Once we get inside, you find a safe place to hide and stay there."

Anakin nodded. "Sure."

"_Stay_ there." Qui-Gon repeated.

The group had in their possession a small assault vehicle with a mounted laser cannon. The cannon fired at one of the AAT (Armored Assault Tank) units stationed in the courtyard. The tank was destroyed, but the security droids were alerted to the presence of the strike team. They opened fire.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan drew their lightsabers. Mickey and Riku summoned their keyblades. Donald summoned his staff and Goofy his shield. Captain Panaka and Padmé drew their blasters. The first battle began.

The Jedi and Keybearers used their weapons to deflect the blaster bolts back at the droids. Donald used his magic to dismantle the droids from a distance, while all Goofy could do was use his shield to defend himself and the pilots from stray bolts.

In this manner, the strike team fought their way through the courtyard. Qui-Gon took a moment to reflect that Mickey fought very much like Yoda, and Riku's form was nearly identical to Mace Windu's. Soon, they found their way to a large metal door that led to the hangar bay of the palace.

In the hangar, they weren't surprised to find even more battle droids. These were dispatched quickly. "Whew." Mickey sighed in relief. "I'm surprised we've not run into Heartless by now."

As if in answer to Mickey's comment, a swarm of Shadows erupted from the ground, their antennae flickering furiously and their yellow eyes fixed on Kairi. "Your Majesty," Kairi asked, "why are they all looking at _me_?"

"They must be under orders from Sora." Mickey answered. "He still wants you to turn to the dark side. The Heartless must want to bring you to him."

"I'm going with them." Kairi said firmly.

"What?" Riku demanded. "You can't be serious!"

Kairi shook her head. "If I go, the Heartless won't have any reason to attack you. Besides, my heart is connected to Sora's. If I can't bring him back, no one will."

"You realize the danger you're putting yourself in?" Mickey questioned.

"I'm in danger no matter where I go." Kairi replied. "So I might as well go somewhere I can make a difference."

Mickey smiled warmly at her. "I'm proud of you, Kairi. Go on."

Kairi stepped forward, her hands raised. "All right." she told the Shadows. "I'm going."

Six Shadows stepped from the ranks and surrounded Kairi, leading her deeper into the palace. The other Shadows remained, turning their attention to the strike team. "We sacrificed Kairi to get rid of six Heartless?" Riku demanded. "What were we thinking?"

"Kairi _will_ get Sora back." Mickey stated firmly. "She's doing her part. Let's do ours."

Riku did not say another word, but instead charged into the battle with keyblade in hand. Mickey leaped after him, cutting down any Heartless in his path. Padmé and the others with blasters tried to blast the Shadows, but the Heartless easily evaded the blaster bolts. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ignited their lightsabers and helped the Keybearers to hold the Heartless at bay. "Anakin, get to cover!" Qui-Gon called.

"Get to the ships!" Padmé shouted to the pilots. Some of the pilots were swarmed by Heartless and killed (or worse, transformed into more Heartless), but many made it to one of the N-1 Naboo starfighters. Anakin climbed into one of the ships and took shelter in its cockpit. Launchpad found another ship and activated its engines. He knew nothing about how to fly an N-1, so he crashed even more than usual before he finally blasted out of the hangar.

* * *

Launchpad had little idea of where he was going, so he allowed the other ships to pass him and he did the best he could to follow them. Soon, the enormous bulk of the droid control ship loomed into view. "Oh." Launchpad said to himself with relief. "All we gotta do is hit that thing? It's huge! This'll go down in history as the easiest mission ever."

Suddenly, scores of smaller ships emerged from the droid control ship. "Maybe not." Launchpad amended.

Suddenly, Launchpad's radio flared to life. "_Fighters straight ahead_." said the pilot known as Bravo Leader on Launchpad's radio.

"_Roger, Bravo Leader_." said another pilot.

"_Roger, Bravo Leader_." a third pilot added.

"Hey!" Launchpad called into his radio. "I didn't know this thing worked!"

As the fighters drew nearer, they opened fire on the N-1's. "Hey!" Launchpad shouted as he banked his ship to the left, narrowly evading a stream of blaster fire. He fingered the unfamiliar controls. "Let's see... which one of these babies activates the shield?"

Launchpad pressed a button, and the ship's shield deactivated. "Oops." Launchpad chuckled to himself as he pressed the button again. "It was already on. Okay now, let's see where the fire button is."

Launchpad found the joystick that held the fire button and began to shoot down the enemy fighters one by one. "Hey, this is kinda fun." he murmured. "Yee-haw!"

* * *

Kairi was now in the throne room of Theed Palace. Darth Maul had left a moment ago to find the Jedi, and Nute Gunray was cowering in a different part of the palace. She was alone with Sora. _It's strange_. Kairi thought. _On Tatooine and Coruscant_, _all I ever wanted to do was find him_. _But now that I have_, _I'd rather be anywhere else_.

"Hey, Kairi." Sora greeted her. "You came alone? I'm insulted."

"Sora," Kairi told him as sternly as she could, "I'm bringing you back to the light."

"Are you?" Sora asked her skeptically. "How is that gonna work when your heart belongs to me?" Just like in the dungeon in Radiant Garden, Kairi felt his control over her heart tighten. His eyes were so _beautiful_, his voice was so _enchanting_...

"No!" Kairi shouted, looking him squarely in the eye. "Mickey was right. My heart belongs to the man you used to be. The man you could be again. Come back to us, Sora! Break free of Shin'en's control!"

"Shin'en is dead." Sora told her. "I killed him not too long ago."

Kairi's eyes widened. "But... you're still..."

"I _told_ you, Kairi." Sora said. "Nobody asked me if I _wanted_ to be freed." He held out his hand. "Come on, Kairi. You know you want to."

Tears choked Kairi's voice as she replied, "What I want, you refuse to give me."

"What _do_ you want?" Sora questioned.

"I want my Sora back." Kairi begged.

"This _is_ your Sora." Sora snapped. "And I'm ten times better than I used to be."

"No." Kairi replied. "You're ten times _worse_."

Sora took one step toward her. "I'm becoming more powerful by the second, Kairi. And I'm doing it all for you. We can be together forever, no Heartless to bother us. We can _rule_ the darkness and use it to make things the way we want them to be." He held out his hand.

Kairi shrank away from him. "I can't believe you, Sora! You _know_ I don't care about the Heartless or the darkness... or _anything_! All I care about is you!"

"Then you should be happy for me!" Sora growled. "You should _want_ me to have this power!"

"But not at the cost of your _heart_!" Kairi pleaded. "Please, Sora! Let's just leave this place! We can go back to Destiny Islands and things can be the way they were before! Don't you remember what that was like? When there was no plotting, no darkness, no Heartless... it was just you and me! Can't we do that again?

Kairi looked deeply into Sora's eyes, and she thought she saw the spark of his old self in them again. "Oh Kairi," he whispered, placing his hand on her cheek. He _sounded_ like his old self, but there was still uncertainty in his eyes. "I don't know what to think anymore."

Suddenly, Sora screamed in pain and placed his hands on his temples. Dark liquid began flowing from his back and collected into a pool behind him. From the pool sprang a creature that looked much like Sora, but couldn't have been more different.

Anti-form!

Sora turned around and glared at Anti-form. "_You_!" he hissed. "_You're_ the one who's been making me hurt the people I care about! _You_'_re _the one who made me hurt Kairi!"

Anti-form's head twitched as though nodding. It was now completely separate from Sora, and as such was little more than a Heartless. It hissed at Sora and lunged, its tentacles lashing out at him.

Sora summoned his keyblade. It was Oathkeeper again! It was then that Kairi realized what had happened: Sora had been controlled by Anti-form's lust for power and affinity for darkness. Now that he had broken free, he was the Sora she knew again. But Anti-form was now a being of its own, and would fight Sora to the death.

Anti-form's tentacles wrapped around Sora's keyblade. Sora yanked hard, sending Anti-form flying into the air. Anti-form 's tentacles again lashed out, but Sora was already up in the air beside it. His clothes were now white, and Oblivion was in his left hand. He had changed into Final Form. He glared into Anti-form's glowing yellow eyes, and Anti-form glared back.

Final Form and Anti-form.

Light and darkness.

Winner take all.

Anti-form's tentacles lashed out at Final Form. They wrapped around the Oblivion keyblade and Final Form yanked them forward, sending Anti-form crashing to the ground. At the same time, Final Form flew down and swung at Anti-form's head with the Oathkeeper. Anti-form caught the Oathkeeper in its teeth. It flew at Sora and the two began to clash.

It was hard for Kairi to follow. Each combatant moved with the speed of lightning, and all Kairi saw was a moving black-and-white blur. Sometimes, they would disappear completely and Kairi would find them on the other side of the room. She could only watch in horror as the black part of the blur suddenly began to dominate the white part.

Suddenly, everything froze.

Anti-form was still. Final Form was still. Kairi was still. The latter wondered what had happened, but she found out before she even finished the thought.

Anti-form had two keyblades running through its chest.

Anti-form screeched and howled in pain as it slowly began to fade away. Final Form collapsed onto the floor and his keyblades disappeared. He had several scrapes and bruises, but was not seriously hurt. He was breathing heavily, staring up into Kairi's eyes with a satisfied smile.

No, not Final Form.

Sora.

At some point while Kairi and Final Form were staring into each other's eyes, Final Form had reverted to Sora once more. "Kairi," he said with a smile as he got up from the hard floor, "I'm back."

Kairi ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Sora!" she cried with glee. "It's really you!"

Sora returned her embrace and gave Kairi the goofy grin she desperately needed to see. "I'm back." he repeated. "No more darkness. No more Anti-form. No more Heartless. Just me and you." His grin widened. "That's what you said you wanted, right?"

"More than anything." Kairi answered, pressing her lips to his.

After a brief moment, Sora pulled away. "We're still not safe here. If the Trade Federation figures out what happened, we're _both_ dead." Suddenly, a thought came to him. "Kairi, have you ever taken acting lessons?"

* * *

In the hangar bay, the battle was thickening. There were more Heartless than ever before. Two Jedi, two Keybearers, a magician, and a knight were not enough to hold them back, and no one else could help.

Mickey was fighting the hardest. He slashed through one Shadow's middle, amputated another's arm, and threw his keyblade through the head of a third. But in doing so, he left himself exposed.

A Shadow forced him to the ground. It poised its claws, preparing to dig its way through Mickey's flesh to get at his heart...

It disappeared.

Mickey looked around. Every Heartless in the hangar bay was gone. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan turned off their lightsabers. "What's happened?" Obi-Wan asked.

Mickey closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "Sora!" he shouted excitedly. "Kairi did it! Sora's free from the dark side!"

"_What_?" Riku sounded stunned. "He's _free_?"

"Did ya hear that, Donald?" Goofy asked his companion. "Sora's free!"

"Kairi did it!" Donald quacked. He and Goofy charged toward Mickey and Riku and hugged them fiercely.

"They are excitable, aren't they, Master?" Obi-Wan asked Qui-Gon.

"Let them have their moment." Qui-Gon told his apprentice. "Sora was a very dear friend to them. His freedom ensures the happiness of many people."

After the very brief celebration, Mickey again grew serious. "We're not out of trouble yet. The Trade Federation must be stopped."

Padmé and Panaka, who had emerged from their cover during the brief celebration, were all business, as usual. Although Padmé was happy for Kairi, her planet was still in danger, and that took priority over everything else. "My guess is the viceroy's in the throne room." she said.

"We'll split up into teams." Mickey suggested. "Riku, Donald and I will go with the decoy . Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Panaka, and Goofy will go with the queen. That way, if one team is captured, the other can create a diversion."

"Everybody this way." Panaka instructed the strike teams as they headed for the nearest exit.

"Hey!" Anakin called from the cockpit of the N-1 that served as his hiding place. "Wait for me!"

"Stay where you are." Qui-Gon told him. "You'll be safe there."

"But I--" Anakin argued.

"Stay in that cockpit." Mickey said sternly.

As Anakin slumped back into his seat, the exit door opened as the strike team drew nearer to it.

Darth Maul was on the other side.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stepped forward. "We'll handle this."

"We'll take the long way." Padmé agreed.

Riku's keyblade appeared in his hand, but Mickey shook his head. "No, Riku. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan can deal with the Sith Lord. We have to stay with the queen and protect her."

Riku nodded and followed Padmé and the others. Mickey looked back only once, and saw that Darth Maul had a double-bladed lightsaber. _I hope I made the right choice_. he thought.

There was no time to reconsider, for as soon as he looked forward again, he saw eight droidekas wheeling into the hangar. He summoned his keyblade and leaped at the first. The keyblade's magical properties allowed it to slash right through the droideka's shield and dismantle the droid in a single swing. Riku attacked the droideka on the other side, but it would not be enough.

Anakin was watching from the cockpit of the N-1. "We gotta do something, R2!" he told the astromech droid that was also in the ship. R2-D2 beeped and whistled in response. "I'm trying to!" Anakin told the droid. "I don't know where the trigger is!"

Anakin pressed a button and the ship began to move forward. "Oops! Wrong one! Maybe it's this one!" Anakin pulled a lever and the cockpit sealed shut. "Nope. Wait, here it is!" Anakin found the joystick and began to fire at the remaining droidekas. Mickey and Riku leaped out of the way so that Anakin could finish them off. "Yeah!" Anakin shouted gleefully.

As soon as the droids were cleared away, Padmé shouted, "Let's go!" and the strike team ran through to the exit.

Anakin's ship, meanwhile, blasted into space. R2-D2 beeped and whistled frantically, but Anakin could not control the ship. "It's on automatic pilot!" he shouted. "Try to override it."

* * *

Nute Gunray was in a panic. He ran into the throne room. "Sora!" he cried. "The situation has changed! Darth Maul is nowhere to be found and the Keybearers are working their way here!"

Sora was gripping a human female by the wrist. "Can't you see I've got a prisoner here?" he hissed.

"Let the droids take care of her!" Nute pleased. "You must stop the Keybearers!"

"No!" Sora barked. "I think we all know how much your droids are worth. I don't even think they could stand up to a _woman_. I'm taking care of her _myself_. But if you're gonna be a baby about it, then I'll come back for you after I'm done with the girl."

"Sora!" Nute pleaded. "What if they find me before you return?"

"Tough crap." Sora said coldly before dragging the human woman into the hallway.

Nute shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid the situation is even worse than I feared."

When Sora rounded the next corner, he turned to Kairi. He changed his position from gripping her wrist to holding her hand. "Did I hurt you?"

"No." Kairi told him. "It's a good thing you dragged me out when you did, though. I thought I was gonna crack up."

"What for?" Sora asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kairi smiled. "Tough crap? Where did you get that, a comic book?"

"Maybe." Sora said sheepishly.

Kairi giggled. "Where are we going now?" she asked.

"We need to find Darth Maul." Sora told her. "He's a Sith Lord who wants to destroy the Jedi. He's almost as powerful as I was when I gave in to the darkness. He might be stronger than me now."

Kairi stopped walking. "Sora," she pleaded, "please don't make me lose you again. I love you too much. I don't think I could survive losing you again."

Sora gripped Kairi's hand a little tighter. "I'll never leave you again. I promise. When we find Darth Maul, we can find a safe place for you to hide so you can watch me the whole time."

The cheesy smile on his face made Kairi believe in him all the more. She offered no more argument as Sora led her down the hall to the power generator plant where he knew Darth Maul was dueling the Jedi.

* * *

The autopilot of Anakin's N-1 brought it to the droid control ship. "Look! There they are!" he told R2-D2. "That's where the autopilot's taking us!"

Suddenly, Anakin's radio crackled to life. "_The deflector shield is too strong_!" a pilot shouted.

As the autopilot was still flying the ship, Anakin could only watch as several ships were shot down by enemy fighters or the turrets on the droid control ship itself. "This is tense!" he shouted.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked Anakin's N-1. "Whoa!" he yelled. "R2, get us off this autopilot. It's gonna get us both killed."

R2-D2 beeped and whistled as he tried to deactivate the autopilot. After a moment, the autopilot was disabled. "You did it, R2!" Anakin congratulated the droid. "Okay, let's go left." Anakin steered the N-1 to the left, toward the droid control ship. R2-D2 tootled nervously. "Go back?" Anakin asked the droid. "Qui-Gon told me to stay in this cockpit, so that's what I'm gonna do."

Anakin continued to fly through the battle, narrowly evading streams of blaster bolts. "_Annie_,_ is that you_?" a voice on his radio asked.

"Launchpad?" Anakin asked. He'd been introduced to the duck pilot while on the queen's royal cruiser, and they'd become fast friends. "What are you doing here?"

"_Covering your tail_." Launchpad answered, blasting away an enemy fighter. "_We gotta find a weakness or else the whole fleet's gonna get destroyed--and us too_. _And try not to get blown up_!"

"I'll try spinning!" Anakin told Launchpad. "That's a good trick."

"_Go for it_." Launchpad affirmed, but Anakin's N-1 starfighter was already spinning, narrowly evading more blaster fire. Launchpad was making short work of most of the Trade Federation fighters, but he could only do so much.

R2-D2 whistled in terror. "I know we're in trouble!" Anakin acknowledged. "Just hang on!"

* * *

Sora and Kairi reached the power generator plant to find Darth Maul dueling Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on a walkway that eventually led to a melting pit. Unfortunately, the walkway was several hundred feet _above_ them. "Oh no." Sora muttered. "We'll never get down there in time."

"Uhh... Sora..." Kairi murmured, "I think _they're_ coming to _us_."

Before Sora could ask what Kairi meant, Darth Maul kicked Obi-Wan off the walkway. He landed only a few yards away from Sora and Kairi. Qui-Gon then delivered a backhanded blow to Darth Maul's face, which sent him crashing onto a walkway only twenty-five feet above Sora and Kairi. Qui-Gon leaped onto this lower walkway and Obi-Wan leaped up onto the walkway to rejoin the battle.

"I think I can make it now." Sora decided.

"What about me?" Kairi asked.

Sora looked around and saw an exit that led to the melting pit. "You go through that door." he told her. "I'll try to steer the fight in that direction. Behind that door should be some stairs. They should lead you to a safe place _above_ the melting pit where you can watch me kick some Sith Lord butt. There won't be any battle droids--all of them got sent to fight the strike teams."

Kairi looked in the direction of the door, then hugged Sora one more time. "Sora, please be careful."

Sora returned her embrace and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry. I always am."

Kairi smiled at him and ran for the door. Sora leaped up onto the walkway and ran after Darth Maul, who was still a good distance ahead.

* * *

Padmé, Panaka, and Goofy had managed to fight their way through most of the palace, and they were nearing the throne room. But as they ran through a hallway, a swarm of droidekas seemingly appeared out of _nowhere_ and surrounded them. Goofy poised his shield and Panaka angled his blaster, but there were too many. "Put down your weapons." Padmé told her protectors. "They win this round."

Even as Panaka and Goofy did as they were told, more droidekas wheeled into the room to escort their new prisoners to the throne room--just where they wanted to go.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know. That part where Sora turned back to the light side was RUSHED. But this chapter's already freakishly long, and I really wanted Anti-form and Final Form to fight each other. So let's try to leave that complaint out of any reviews, shall we?Hope nobody hates me!**

**Shire Folk: You are absolutely right! I live in the USA, and I like the whole democracy thing too. But if you'll notice, the democracy in Star Wars is shattered beyond all hope of repair, and THAT'S what Kairi hates. But in the real world, democracy is da bomb!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	13. Turning the Tide

**A/N: Hello again! It's me! Thanks to all of you who are patient with me. Maybe one day I'll come back and redo all the rushed parts, but that may not happen for a while yet. At any rate, here's chapter 12!**

* * *

_**Chapter 12: Turning the Tide**_

_"Remember_,_ there will always be a door to the light_!_"_

_--King Mickey Mouse _

Launchpad and Anakin continued to fly through the chaos of the space battle. Riku's words had been true, and Launchpad proved quite the sensational combatant in a dogfight. He kept Anakin covered as best he could, but a bolt from an ambushing droid starfighter hit the left wing of Anakin's N-1. R2-D2 shrieked. "We're hit, R2!" Anakin shouted. "Aaaah!"

"_Hang in there_, _kid_!" Launchpad's voice called from Anakin's radio. But Launchpad could only watch as Anakin's N-1 flew down until it swerved into the docking bay of the droid control ship. Anakin's vessel was now safe from attack by starfighters, but he had to use every trick he'd ever learned just to keep from crashing into the walls and large ships inside the docking bay.

R2-D2 beeped and whistled in what seemed to be a warning tone. "I'm trying to stop! I'm trying to stop!" Anakin shouted as his vessel finally touched the floor and skidded to a halt. "Everything's overheated." Anakin muttered as he checked the systems of his N-1. Suddenly, a group of B1 battle droids swarmed the incapacitated ship. "Oops. This is _not_ good." Anakin murmured.

Anakin fiddled with the controls, but there was nothing that wasn't completely overheated. If he didn't get the N-1 working properly, he was doomed.

* * *

Sora finally caught up to Obi-Wan. Ahead of them was a long hallway, with red walls of crackling energy placed at intervals of about ten feet. Four energy walls separated them from Qui-Gon Jinn, and another wall separated Qui-Gon from Darth Maul. Qui-Gon was on his knees, eyes closed, and Darth Maul paced impatiently. Beyond the hallway was the melting pit.

Obi-Wan looked at Sora. "You must be Sora." he said. "It's nice to see you on our side. Kairi spoke very highly of you."

Sora smiled. "I guess you're Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Maul didn't speak very highly of you at all." Sora glanced over at Qui-Gon. "What's he doing?"

"Meditating." Obi-Wan answered. "He's been doing most of the fighting, and he needs the rest. He'll be up and fighting again as soon as the walls go down."

Sora summoned his keyblade and tapped the laser wall with it. As soon as they made contact, the wall sparked and Sora's keyblade could not penetrate it. "So I guess we're stuck here until the walls go down."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes."

Sora crossed his arms. "Poop." was all he said.

Suddenly, the wall separating Qui-Gon from Darth Maul went down. Just as Obi-Wan said, Qui-Gon was up and on his feet, lightsaber ignited, by the time Darth Maul struck. As soon as the rest of the walls dropped, Sora ran as fast as he could, with Obi-Wan right behind. Sora was considerably faster than Obi-Wan, and managed to join the duel with Darth Maul. Obi-Wan, however, was cut off as the last wall sprang back up.

Sora immediately leaped onto Darth Maul and drove the battle away from Qui-Gon. Darth Maul looked shocked for a moment, then scowled and fought Sora with full ferocity. Seeing that Sora could hold his own, Qui-Gon took the opportunity to rest and think about what was going on. _This must be Sora_, he thought, _which means Kairi can't be too fa_r. He looked around and spotted Kairi standing on a walkway about fifty feet above, which lined the circumference of the room. Her gaze was fixed on Sora.

Qui-Gon rejoined the fight when he saw Darth Maul gaining ground. Without a word, Sora and Qui-Gon came to the understanding that they would work together to take on the Sith Lord and ask questions later. While Sora moved much faster than Darth Maul, or any combatant Qui-Gon had ever seen besides King Mickey, Darth Maul's saberstaff compensated by being so large that Sora couldn't break through its defenses.

Sora finally decide that a two-pronged attack would be better ,and he leaped behind Darth Maul while Qui-Gon was still working the front. Before Sora landed, however, Darth Maul's foot flew toward him while the Sith Lord parried Qui-Gon's next strike. The thick sole of Darth Maul's boot crashed into Sora's jaw, and the Keybearer was sent flying backward. At the same time, the handle of Darth Maul's saberstaff slammed into Qui-Gon's chin.

Sora recovered in midair and kicked off the wall toward Darth Maul again, but it was too late. Darth Maul reversed his saberstaff and shoved its crimson blade into Qui-Gon's stomach while the Jedi was still stunned. Qui-Gon crumpled to the floor by the time Sora engaged Darth Maul again.

"_NO_!"

The cry came from three different mouths in three different locations. The first exclamation came from Sora, who shouted it even as his keyblade slammed into the foremost blade of Darth Maul's saberstaff. The second shout came from Kairi, who was still watching from her vantage point above the battle. But the loudest cry came from Obi-Wan. The Jedi apprentice watched helplessly from behind the laser wall as his master fell to the ground, a hole burned into his stomach so precisely and cleanly that Obi-Wan could see through it..

Sora struck at Darth Maul again and again, parrying each swing that came his way. At last, he hit the saberstaff with enough power to force Darth Maul to alter his grip in the handle. Sora slashed at the exposed handle, splitting the saberstaff in two. One half died out and clattered to the floor, but the other half still functioned.

Darth Maul wielded what was left of his saberstaff like a lightsaber, proving adept at single-bladed combat as well as double-bladed. When Sora did not back down, Darth Maul decided that it would be a good time to cheat.

Darth Maul swiftly gestured toward Kairi, and an invisible wave of the Force sent her crashing into the wall behind her. She was rendered unconscious and she bore a nasty wound that sent blood trickling down her face. Darth Maul kept up his barrage of saber strikes, daring Sora to rescue his precious princess.

The plasma wall finally came down and Obi-Wan Kenobi ran toward Darth Maul. Seizing the opportunity, Sora parried Darth Maul's next strike as he leaped into the air and used the Sith Lord's face as a springboard to vault onto the walkway where Kairi lay.

Darth Maul recovered from his crunch to the face in time to meet Obi-Wan's blade. Finding Obi-Wan less skilled than Qui-Gon or Sora, Darth Maul quickly took control of the fight.

Darth Maul began to wonder why he ever needed Sora in the first place.

* * *

Standard B1 battle droids led Padmé, Panaka, and Goofy into the throne room, where Viceroy Nute Gunray was waiting. Satisfied that no Keybearers or Jedi had accompanied the queen, Nute felt no more anxiety about Sora leaving so suddenly. "Your little insurrection is at an end, Your Highness." the viceroy said curtly. "Time for you to sign the treaty and end this pointless debate in the senate."

"Viceroy!"

Everyone turned around to find the queen's decoy standing in the doorway, along with Donald, Riku, and King Mickey himself! "Your occupation here has ended!" the decoy continued before blasting off the heads of two B1 battle droids. "After her!" Nute Gunray exclaimed. "This one's a decoy!"

As the battle droids turned their attention away from Padmé and her friends, Padmé activated a hidden switch on the arm of the throne in the center of the room. A panel slid open in the arm, revealing a pair of emergency blaster pistols. She took one and tossed one to Captain Panaka. Goofy summoned his shield. The remaining battle droids were dealt with in seconds.

While Goofy and Panaka made sure the throne room was sealed off, Padmé kept her blaster aimed at Viceroy Nute Gunray's head. "Now, viceroy, we will discuss a _new_ treaty." she hissed.

* * *

"Yes! We have power!"

Anakin felt a great sense of relief as the lights on the his starfighter's dashboard turned green and the engines flared to life. The very first thing he did was make sure the shields were turned on. Blaster bolts fired by the battle droids at the N-1 bounced harmlessly off the energy shield.

The next thing Anakin did was find the joystick that controlled the firing mechanism. "Take this!" he shouted as he fired enormous bolts of energy intended to damage enemy starfighters at the B1 battle droids. Needless to say, the droids were far less durable than an enemy starfighter, and were obliterated on impact with the bolts.

Anakin pulled back on the joystick and fired. Instead of blaster bolts, the N-1 starfighter launched two proton torpedoes, which were significantly more powerful. "And _this_!" Anakin went on. The torpedoes sped through the launch bay and slammed right into the main reactor. The reactor exploded. "Oops." was all Anakin could think to say. Anakin fired up the engines of his ship. "Let's get out of here."

Anakin flew through the still-open doors of the hangar bay and back into the safety of space. Behind him, droids and vital pieces of equipment exploded. The droid control ship was doomed. Anakin flew past the blossoms of flame and roars of the dying ship around him. "Now _this_ is Podracing!"

Meanwhile, Launchpad was doing the best he could to battle the few remaining droid fighters, looking for any sign of Anakin. Suddenly, one of the pilots said through his radio, "_What's that_? _It's blowing up from the inside_!"

"I didn't do it!" Launchpad answered defensively. For once, a ship was flying apart and it wasn't his fault.

"_Look_!" Another pilot exclaimed. "_One of ours out of the main hold_!

Suddenly, Launchpad heard Anakin's voice over the radio. "_Whoo_!"

"Way to go, kid!" Launchpad congratulated him. Several other cries of victory were heard as the droid control ship's central sphere was completely obliterated.

* * *

"Kairi, wake up!"

The voice was hazy, and Kairi wondered if she was dreaming. Then she remembered that if one believes that one is dreaming, one is usually awake. And the sweet, melodic voice of her only love was still calling to her, pleading for her to open her eyes. She obliged, and her eyes were immediately met by Sora's deep blue orbs. "Sora?" she whispered.

Kairi's head was throbbing, and it hurt for her to even think. Therefore, she emptied her mind of everything except for Sora's eyes looking into hers and the sound of his voice as he told her, "I think you'll be okay."

Kairi's throbbing worsened, and she placed a hand to her head. What she felt was not her own soft, smooth skin, but instead a piece of coarse cloth that served as a makeshift bandage. "What happened?" she asked.

"Darth Maul slammed you into the wall." Sora explained. "You got a nasty bump on the head, but nothing too serious. You should feel just fine after you drink this."

Kairi looked away from the blue pools of Sora's eyes and into his hand. He was holding a potion bottle. "I already gave you one while you were unconscious," Sora told her, "but that bump still looks pretty rough. It's a good thing you had a whole bunch in your purse."

Kairi smiled as she took the potion and drank it down. It tasted like raw sewage, but it was the fastest way to heal Kairi's wound. She could feel the pain fading already. "What would I do without you, Sora?" she whispered fondly, placing her hand on his cheek.

Sora grinned and mirrored her action. "Well, to be fair, none of this would've even happened without me. Let's see how that little bump looks."

Sora carefully removed the cloth on Kairi's head. It was covered in blood, but Kairi still recognized its original color as the same as Sora's shirt. She looked down and, sure enough, Sora's shirt was torn. He had used his own clothing to bandage her wound. Sora placed his hand where the cloth once was. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt at all. "Well, it looks like you're fine now. There's not even a _scar_ left."

Kairi smiled slyly at him. "It still hurts a little."

Sora smiled back and kissed her forehead gently. "All better." he said. And it was, in more ways than one. Suddenly, Sora's eyes widened. "Obi-Wan!" he gasped. He helped Kairi up and both of them leaned over the railing of the walkway to see what was going on below.

Obi-Wan and Darth Maul were fighting fiercely, but Sora could tell that Darth Maul was winning. This was made even more evident as Darth Maul leaped backward and assumed a posture clearly meant to taunt Obi-Wan. As Obi-Wan leaped toward him, he parried with ease and used his other hand to reach out to the Force. The Force responded by sending Obi-Wan flying backward and into the melting pit! Darth Maul looked down into the pit and kicked Obi-Wan's lightsaber down. Sora and Kairi heard it clanging as it fell down the very long shaft.

Judging from the way Darth Maul paced at the edge of the pit, Obi-Wan was still alive. Sora turned to Kairi. "Find somewhere to hide." he instructed her. "I don't want Darth Maul hurting you again. I have to go down there. I'll come back for you, I promise."

Sora pecked her on the lips before he jumped over the railing and landed right behind Darth Maul. He prepared for a decapitating swing that would cleave the Sith Lord's head right off his shoulders, but Darth Maul parried in the nick of time. "Sora," he hissed, "I planned on killing you from the very beginning, so this doesn't surprise me at all. But I would like to know--why did you return to the light side?"

Sora swung his keyblade in a downward sweep, but Darth Maul parried again. "Because that girl you hurt saved me."

Darth Maul shook his head as he made a fruitless attempt to slice Sora in half. "Love. A weakness I have no desire to share."

As Sora and Darth Maul dueled, Obi-Wan clung to a small input nozzle just inside the melting pit. He took a deep breath and looked around. Sora was distracting Darth Maul; that was good, but not even a Keybearer could stand up to a Sith Lord on his own. Obi-Wan had to find a way to help--but his lightsaber rested at the bottom of a _very_ long drop. And Obi-Wan had no intention of joining it.

Obi-Wan shut his eyes in remorse. _I'm so sorry_,_ Master_. he thought. Then he remembered. Qui-Gon had a lightsaber too.

Obi-Wan waited until Darth Maul was just beside the landing pit. Obi-Wan reached through the Force and called Qui-Gon's lightsaber not to him, but to where he _would_ be a millisecond later.

Sora saw the lightsaber move out of the corner of his eye. He punched Darth Maul in the face and leaped backward. Obi-Wan landed right where Sora had been, and the stunned Darth Maul could put forth no resistance as Obi-Wan swung the emerald blade of his master.

Sora and Obi-Wan both watched as Darth Maul gasped and his eyes went wide. He fell backward into the melting pit. His lower body fell separately behind him. Both halves of the destroyed Sith Lord fell to the bottom of the melting pit, where they joined Obi-Wan's forgotten lightsaber in the darkness.

Obi-Wan immediately ran to his master's side. "No," Qui-Gon barely whispered, "it's--it's too late."

"No!" Obi-Wan cried in denial.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon went on, ignoring his apprentice's grief, "promise... promise me you will train the boy."

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan replied automatically, though his tears choked him and he barely squeaked the words out.

"He is the chosen one." Qui-Gon assured his apprentice. "He will bring balance. Train him." His final breath spent giving this final instruction to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon closed his eyes in death.

Sora shed quite a few tears. Although Sora hadn't ever even _talked_ to Qui-Gon, he was pained to know that this loss was partially _his_ fault. If he had only seen that kick coming, if he had only reached Darth Maul fast enough... but he hadn't. He could remember when he was traveling through the Pride Lands, when his friend Pumbaa reminded him to "put your behind in your past," after which Timon quickly amended, "you gotta put your _past behind_ you." With a deep breath, Sora acknowledged that Qui-Gon's death was not his fault, and that there was nothing he could have done.

That was when he remembered Kairi.

Sora ran as close to the walkway as he could and called up, "Kairi, it's over! You can come down now!"

Kairi emerged from her hiding place and leaned over the railing. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Jump." Sora told her. "I'll catch you."

Kairi took one good look at the fifty-foot drop and decided very wisely, "I can't! Can you come up here like before?"

Sora shook his head. "I don't have a Sith Lord to use as a trampoline this time. Come on, what are you afraid of?"

Kairi looked at him skeptically. "Falling." she said honestly.

Sora crossed his arms. "Do you trust me?" he asked her.

Kairi looked down at the floor with fear, but gained courage when she looked back into Sora's eyes. "I do." And to prove this, she closed her eyes and leaped over the railing.

She hadn't fallen more than ten feet when Sora leaped up into the air and caught her. She reflexively opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck as they dropped together the rest of the way. "I told you there was nothing to be afraid of." Sora assured her as he set her back down. Surprisingly, she never removed her arms from his neck. "I would _never_ let anything happen to you."

Kairi smiled at him and pecked him on the lips before turning to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "Is he..." she gasped, afraid to speak the terrible, horrible words.

She didn't have to. "He is." Sora said apologetically. "I couldn't save him."

Kairi buried her face into Sora's chest and cried. Sora stroked her head and back gently, but he said nothing.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was a little shorter than usual, but that was the best place to end it, I think. Hope you guys enjoyed. And thanks to my new buddy Syrena Li for reviewing! You really think I'm a born author? Because that would be the awesomeness! You super crazy!**

**Well guys, I only have two more chapters to go. Hope they don't make your heads explode!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	14. Many Goodbyes

**A/N: And here we go! The next-to-last chapter! Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Many Goodbyes**

"_Maybe_... _it's time I shaped my own story_."

_--Auron_

The next day, everything had been settled. King Mickey, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Kairi, and Sora had all been reunited. After several hugs and reminders to "never pull a stupid stunt like that again," (as Donald put it) Sora was introduced to Kairi's friends Anakin and Padmé.

Now, everyone was watching Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's shuttle land in the courtyard of Theed Palace. Padmé had again assumed the ceremonial makeup and elaborate hairstyle of Queen Amidala, and was addressing her prisoners, Nute Gunray and Rune Haako. "Now, Viceroy," Amidala told Nute, "you're going to have to go back to the senate and explain all this."

"I think you can kiss your trade franchise goodbye." Panaka added as he led everyone to greet Palpatine.

Sora got very nervous as Palpatine approached. He felt _exactly_ like Darth Sidious had. He whispered this to Kairi, who assured him that she didn't like him either. Sora, Kairi, Riku, and King Mickey were the only people who did not bow in respect as Palpatine exited his shuttle and approached Obi-Wan Kenobi. "We are indebted to you for your bravery, Obi-Wan Kenobi." he told the Jedi before turning to Anakin. "And you, young Skywalker. We will watch your career with great interest."

Palpatine next approached Queen Amidala. As he did so, Kairi whispered to Sora that Amidala fully trusted Palpatine. This was made evident by the smile on the queen's face as she said, "Congratulations on your election, Chancellor."

"Your boldness has saved our people, Your Majesty." Palpatine commended her. "It's _you_ who should be congratulated. Together, we shall bring peace and prosperity to the Republic."

Sora crossed his arms. "The guy's a smooth talker, I'll give him that."

Palpatine did not bother to acknowledge King Mickey or his friends before he departed.

A few moments later, Jedi Master Yoda appeared on Naboo. After greeting King Mickey and congratulating Sora for his return to the light side, he led Obi-Wan to a private room in Theed Palace. Obi-Wan knelt before the Grand Master Jedi as the latter spoke. "Confer on you the level of Jedi Knight the Council does, but agree with your taking this boy as your Padawan learner, _I_ do _not_."

"Qui-Gon believed in him." Obi-Wan offered.

Yoda sighed heavily. "The chosen one the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training."

"Master Yoda," Obi-Wan argued, "I gave Qui-Gon my word. I _will_ train Anakin, without the approval of the Council if I must."

"Qui-Gon's defiance, I sense in you." Yoda said sharply. "Need _that_ you do not." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath before conceding, "Agree with you the Council does. Your apprentice, Skywalker will be."

* * *

Sora looked sadly at the funeral pyre where Qui-Gon's body burned. Sora's left hand was clenched into a fist, and his right arm held Kairi close to him. She needed his support, his _love_, more than anything right now. And he needed hers just as much.

Sora managed to look away from Qui-Gon's burning body and looked around. _Everyone_ had come to this funeral: Mickey, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amidala, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Panaka and his guards, the Gungan leaders, the entire Jedi Council, and _Palpatine_. Sora noticed that Palpatine was the only person there who did not look at all sad.

He watched as Obi-Wan turned to Anakin. "What will happen to me now?" Anakin asked his new master.

"The Council has granted be permission to train you." Obi-Wan answered. "You _will_ be a Jedi. I promise."

In another corner, King Mickey was conversing with Grand Master Yoda. "Sora tells me that Qui-Gon's killer was a Sith Lord. There's no more room for doubt."

"Mmm." Yoda grunted in acknowledgement. "Always two, there are. No more, no less: a master and an apprentice."

"And I think the master is still alive." Mickey sighed sadly.

Yoda also sighed, then dismissed the subject for a brighter one. "A transport, we can give you. Out of this galaxy you will be when ready you are."

Mickey glanced in the direction of Sora and Kairi. "We'll leave tomorrow. Let them grieve tonight."

Yoda nodded solemnly before returning his gaze to the funeral pyre.

* * *

The ship was enormous, enough to accommodate many more people than the seven travelers that were going to use it.

Sora, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Riku, and Mickey stood before the exit ramp of the enormous vessel. Standing before them were Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan. Yoda and the other members of the Jedi Council had returned to Coruscant already, and Palpatine made sure that he was busy _anywhere_ else. Everyone else was at the large celebration taking place at Theed Palace.

"You're invited to the celebration, you know." Padmé told the seven. "All of you. None of this could've happened without you."

"Thanks," Sora replied, wrapping his arm around Kairi's waist, "but I think we're all a little homesick."

Anakin smiled at Kairi. His hair was now arranged into the classic Padawan braid, similar to what Obi-Wan Kenobi had worn two days before. "I told you you'd find him." he told the Princess of Heart.

Kairi nodded and smiled back. She looked up at Sora, then back down at him. "You did, Annie. Thank you."

Launchpad approached Anakin next. "So long, little buddy." he said, presenting his fist for Anakin to tap. Anakin, unfamiliar with this custom, only stared. Launchpad then shrugged and captured Anakin in a tight embrace. "I'm gonna miss ya, pal."

Anakin returned the hug for a moment before letting go. "Well, I better get those engines warmed up." Launchpad decided before running up the exit ramp.

Donald and Goofy approached Anakin next. "Bye, Annie." Goofy told the boy. "We're gonna miss ya."

"I'll miss you guys too." Anakin told him, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Hey!" Donald rebuked him, wagging a finger and smiling. "No sad faces! We'll be back one day."

"You will?" Anakin asked hopefully, wiping away the tear.

"Well sure!" Goofy assured him. "That's what friends do!"

Donald and Goofy captured Anakin in a group hug before waving goodbye and entering the ship.

Riku, on the other hand, said goodbye to Obi-Wan. "I guess you're a master now, huh?"

Obi-Wan nodded, but said nothing. Riku shook his hand. "Well, good luck." Remembering that he was talking to a Jedi, he added, "May the Force be with you."

"And may your heart guide you safely home." Obi-Wan finished with a small smile. This brief exchange of philosophy ended the conversation, and Riku only nodded before boarding the ship.

King Mickey said goodbye to everyone, but had nothing in particular he wished to say. He gave Anakin a hug and thanked him before following Riku to the ship. (After all, what nine-year-old _hasn't_ wanted to hug Mickey Mouse?)

Now, only Sora and Kairi remained.

While Kairi said goodbye to Anakin, Sora turned to Padmé. "Thanks," he told her, "for keeping her chin up while I was lost."

Padmé nodded. "It wasn't a problem. Even though we only knew each other for a few days, I think Kairi's one of my best friends."

Meanwhile, Kairi knelt down so that she could look Anakin in the eye. "Bye, Kairi." Anakin told her. "I'll miss you."

Kairi placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll miss you too, Annie. I hope you become a great Jedi."

"I do too." Anakin sniffled. He hugged Kairi before she moved on to say goodbye to Padmé.

"I guess this is goodbye." Kairi told the queen of Naboo.

"I guess it is." Padmé returned. "Will you ever come back?"

"Who knows?" Kairi answered. "Maybe one day."

"My people will never forget what you've done." Padmé assured her.

"Good to know." Kairi replied with a smile.

From behind her, Sora called, "Kairi, you ready to go?"

Kairi told Padmé and Anakin goodbye one more time before taking Sora's arm and walking up the ramp. The ramp closed and the ship lifted off into the sky. The three still present had to laugh as the ship wobbled at first and nearly crashed into a building, which was followed by muffled shouts from the ship. Then Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Anakin headed back toward Theed Palace, where the celebration was far from over.

* * *

The ship lifted off into space and Launchpad guided it as steadily as he could manage. Sora watched as Kairi went below deck to the sleeping quarters. Son after, King Mickey took him aside. "Sora," he said, "I have something you might want."

Before Sora could ask what it might be, Mickey removed from his cloak pocket something that Sora never thought he would see again: Kairi's birthday gift. Sora took it in his hand and shed a tear of joy. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I can't thank you enough. But... how did you _find_ it?"

Mickey beckoned to Riku, who took his place at his master's side. "You have Riku to thank for that." the king told Sora. "He found it in Kairi's room back on Destiny Islands."

Sora turned to Riku, who smiled. "I thought you might need it." He leaned a little closer to Sora and whispered, "And a word of advice: now's the perfect time to give it to her."

Sora nodded, thanked both of his friends again, and ran to the sleeping quarters.

* * *

Kairi sat down on the nearest bed she could find. How had this all happened so quickly? In less than a week, she had lost Sora, traveled to _three_ new worlds, made several new friends, gotten Sora back, said goodbye to her new friends, and now she was returning home.

She was interrupted from her reveries when Sora walked through the door of the sleeping quarters. "Hey, Kairi." he greeted her as he sat down on the bed beside her.

"Hi, Sora." Kairi returned. "What are you doing?"

Sora grinned. "I was just thinking. Do you remember when we were six, and I proposed to you with a ring I found in a cereal box?"

Kairi giggled at the memory. "Yeah. And I said yes."

Sora laughed too. "And then we told Riku and he punched me in the face and wouldn't talk to us all day. And then we all forgot about the whole thing by the next day."

Kairi looked up at him expectantly. "So what brought this up?"

"Well," Sora said, presenting the blue box to her, "since our adventure's over, I thought I might give you this. It's your birthday present. Sorry it's a little late."

Kairi smiled as she opened the box, then her mouth dropped open at what she saw there. The paopu fruit was still in perfect condition despite being carried around in pockets for days.

Attached to the paopu, a star-shaped fruit that smells of wildflowers, is a legend: if two people share the fruit, their destinies become joined forever. They remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what. The offering of the paopu fruit has become a sacred romantic ritual on Destiny Islands. "Would you share it with me?" Sora asked.

Kairi was so stunned, she could only nod. Sora was grinning like the Cheshire cat as he broke the paopu fruit in half. It came apart easily and perfectly, as though it was _meant_ to break in half. Sora gave one piece to Kairi and kept the other for himself. "Okay, on the count of three. One, two, two and a half, two and three quarters, two and nine tenths, two and--"

"Sora!" Kairi said sternly. At least it would have been sternly if she hadn't been giggling.

"Okay, fine." Sora conceded. "Three."

Sora and Kairi bit into their halves of the paopu fruit at the exact same time. Sora nearly ate his half in one bite, and the entire lower half of his face was covered in the juice of the fruit. Kairi ate hers more slowly, savoring the taste, which was a mixture of every fruit Kairi knew of. "Now make sure you chew it up _really_ good before you swallow." Sora instructed her.

"This coming from the guy who's wearing more than he ate?" Kairi asked playfully. Suddenly, she bit into something very hard. "Ow!" she declared as she removed the hard object from her mouth.

It was a ring.

Kairi looked at Sora suspiciously. Sora wiped the paopu juice from his face. "Well," he began to say, though his words were hindered by newfound unease, "I guess you know what's coming." Kairi was speechless as Sora took her hands in his. "Kairi, will you marry me?"

Sora barely had time to let out a yelp before Kairi tackled him, pinning him to the bed. "Oh Sora, of _course_ I will."

Sora started laughing, which made Kairi laugh right along with him. This went on for quite a few minutes before Kairi finally sobered up. "Okay, what's so funny?"

"Nothing." Sora told her as he began to calm down. "I just didn't expect you to _tackle_ me."

Kairi looked at the ring Sora had given her as he wiped it clean of paopu juice and saliva before slipping it onto her finger. She wondered where he had gotten it, since she had never seen anything like it at the stores on Destiny Islands.

As though reading her thoughts, Sora told her, "I got this from the Moogles back before I beat Xemnas. I thought you might like it."

"It's beautiful." Kairi told him as she closed her eyes. She was still exhausted from the journey, and she had gotten quite comfortable using her boyfriend--_fiancé_--as a pillow.

"So are you." Sora whispered into her ear. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep.

A few minutes later, Riku walked into the room. "Sora," he said, "Launchpad's having a little trouble and was wondering if you'd show him a few pointers."

Riku stopped dead in his tracks when he found Sora and Kairi sleeping together. He also did not fail to notice the ring on Kairi's finger. He smiled and shook his head. "I'll take that as a no." He removed a blanket from an adjacent bed and used it to cover his two friends. Neither one stirred. _Just wait till I tell King Mickey_. he thought as he left the room.

* * *

"Sora, wake up!"

Sora stretched, being careful not to let go of the delicate figure in his arm--the source of the words. "What is it, Kairi?" he asked sleepily, still not opening his eyes.

"We're home." Kairi told him.

"Oh, that's nice." Sora yawned. The meaning of the words dawned on him a moment later, and his eyes flew open. "_What_?"

"Look." Kairi instructed him, glancing toward the window.

Sora did as he was told, and was greeted with the familiar sight of the children's play island! They were back on Destiny Islands! They were _home_! "What are we doing back here?" Sora asked. He knew that since he was marrying Kairi, he would have to take up residence in Radiant Garden as its king. He thought he'd never see his island home again.

"You didn't think we'd let you guys go back to Radiant Garden without looking around the islands one last time, did you?" asked another voice. Sora and Kairi both looked in the doorway to find the owner of the familiar voice.

Riku.

"Riku?" Sora shouted, jumping up from the bed. "How long have you been in here?"

Riku smiled and crossed his arms. "Relax, I just got here. But I _have_ been keeping an eye on you during the trip home."

"So I guess you already know about me and Sora." Kairi stated as she took her place by her new fiancé.

Riku nodded. "Yup. But Donald and Goofy went a little overboard when I told them. They've already got your entire wedding planned out."

Sora and Kairi both laughed. "Typical Donald and Goofy." Sora commented.

"So what exactly are we doing?" Kairi asked.

Riku took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Well... we're telling Kairi's foster parents about the wedding."

Kairi instinctively moved closer to Sora at the mention of her foster parents. They would be angry enough to find out that she hadn't married Shin'en, let alone that Shin'en was dead and that Kairi was marrying his killer. "What? We're gonna ask _my_ mom and dad, who _hate_ Sora, for permission to _marry_ him?"

Riku shook his head. "No. We're gonna march in there and _tell_ them you're marrying Sora, whether they like it or not."

Kairi breathed a sigh of relief.

"After that, we're getting Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka and telling them you're moving to Radiant Garden." Riku went on. "We'll leave out that you're becoming the king and queen. And then all we have to do is get all your stuff aboard this ship and we can go."

Riku turned and walked away, with Sora and Kairi close behind.

* * *

When Kairi looked at the large mansion that had been a prison to her ever since she was a little girl, her heart was overloaded with emotion. She was relieved that she would never have to look at it again after that day, nervous about going inside, and horrified about confronting her foster parents again.

By now, the sun had set on Destiny Islands, and the only illumination came from the moon and the few streetlamps that lined the streets. But the greatest light Kairi found that night was in Sora's smile as he wrapped his arm protectively around her and assured her, "It'll be all right."

That was easy for Sora to say. His mother had approved of the wedding before this fiasco even started.

The door to the mansion was, not surprisingly, locked. Of course, locked doors are no match for a Keybearer, and King Mickey was the one to use his keyblade to unlock the door. The king stepped into the mansion first, followed by Riku. Sora and Kairi walked in together, and Donald and Goofy brought up the rear. Launchpad, as always, stayed with the ship.

Mickey turned to Kairi and nodded. Kairi understood the signal and called, "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" as cheerfully as she could. Even so, she never moved an inch away from Sora.

The first one down the stairs was Kairi's foster father, the mayor of Destiny Islands. His name was Fundo Herutsu. He was tall and lean, a stark contrast to Kairi's foster mother. Sakana Herutsu marched down the stairs right behind Fundo, and the sight that met their eyes left them speechless. Their foster daughter was in the arms of a man who was _not_ Shin'en, and they were surrounded by _freaks_.

"Kairi, what is the meaning of this?" Fundo exclaimed at the sight of his foster daughter's friends. "And where is Shin'en?"

"He's dead." Kairi answered. "I'm not marrying him. I'm marrying Sora."

Fundo and Sakana exchanged worried glances before glaring at Sora angrily. "Unhand her this instant!" Sakana shouted. "Kairi, get away from him!"

Fundo took several steps toward Sora before he was cut off by a pair of keyblades blocking his path. Mickey's and Riku's blades were crossed before him, and behind Sora and Kairi, Donald and Goofy drew their weapons as well. All four glared at Kairi's foster parents. "You can't do this to us!" Fundo barked. "She's our _daughter_!"

"And you would keep her from the people she loves?" Riku retorted.

Sakana stepped forward and glared at Riku. "You? I thought you were going to_ take care of _Sora!"

Riku glanced in Sora's direction. Not surprisingly, Sora wore a muddled expression. Riku turned back to Sakana. "I did take care of him. He's fine, see? And I also promised to get Kairi where she belongs, and that's with Sora." Riku moved his keyblade away from Mickey's, breaking the defensive X, and pointed it in Sakana's face. "Kairi made her choice. Now it's time for you to make yours."

Fundo scowled at everyone present, then walked up the stairs. He emerged again a few moments later with a stack of papers--Kairi's adoption papers. He tore them in half. "If this is how Kairi wants to waste her life, I wash my hands of her. She's not my daughter anymore."

"Are you sure that's the road you want to take?" King Mickey asked.

Fundo and Sakana both nodded. "Take her away from us." they said simultaneously.

The rest of the time spent on Destiny Islands flew quickly by. Sora and Kairi announced their departure to their friends, and after several goodbyes, they loaded their most treasured possessions aboard the ship and flew off toward Radiant Garden.

While they were still half an hour away from Radiant Garden, Donald, Goofy, and Riku sat down with Sora and Kairi and began to discuss the wedding plans. It was decided that Riku--the closest thing to family Kairi had left--would give her away. Goofy was appointed to be the best man, and everyone was sure Queen Minnie would like to be the maid of honor. King Mickey, of course, would be performing the wedding. By the time all of the details had been secured, they were already landing in Radiant Garden.

* * *

**A/N: Huzzah! One chapter to go! If you're lucky, this story will be finished before the day is out. If not, it'll definitely be finished tomorrow. Either way, hope I didn't disappoint anyone too badly. **

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	15. Home is Where the Heart is

**A/N: Here it is. The last chapter. I think I'm gonna cry. Just read it and let me cry in peace!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Home is Where the Heart is**

_"No matter where I go or what I see_, _I know I can always come back here_."

_--Kairi_

_**One Week Passes**_

Sora was fidgety, to say the least. He was currently in the east wing of his new castle, accompanied by Riku, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Chip, and Dale. Sora was dressed in a white tuxedo, while everyone else was in traditional black. Chip and Dale fixed Sora's bow tie around his neck while everyone else played with their suits. Of everyone in the room, only Donald was very comfortable in a tuxedo.

Riku placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Relax, would ya? You've been dreaming about this ever since Kairi washed up on Destiny Islands. I thought you'd be mentally prepared by now."

Sora shrugged and messed with the spikes of his hair. "Yeah, I know. But I had no idea I'd be getting married in this giant castle with all these people."

"I think you'll live." Riku said with a smirk. "Besides, just think about what happens _after_ the wedding."

"Riku!" Sora shouted, nearly causing Chip and Dale to lose their balance and fall off his shoulders.

"It was a joke, Sora." Riku countered. "Anything to make you less nervous. You're _sweating_."

"Well _duh_," Sora argued, "it's like a million degrees in this monkey suit!"

"And you're wearing white." Riku reminded him. "How do you think everyone else feels in these black tuxedos? But I guess it beats looking like a nerd."

"Hey!" Sora shouted again. Chip and Dale scurried to the floor before they got knocked over. "I better not look like a nerd! Scrooge McDuck said he got the best one he could find."

"Which means he bought the cheapest." Riku chuckled.

Sora was about to issue a reply, but Goofy pushed him out the door. "Come on! You don't wanna be late for your own wedding!"

Sora shrugged and headed out the door. Riku hadn't helped. He was still nervous.

* * *

Kairi wasn't nervous anymore. As far as she was concerned, this was the happy ending at the end of the fairytale: the princess marries her knight in shining armor and they live happily ever after. What she was at the moment was _frustrated_.

Donald and Goofy had invited the three good fairies--Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather--to design the dresses for the wedding. Sora had heavily objected at first, but Kairi had assured him that nothing could go wrong. Kairi took a mental note to listen to Sora's advice more often.

The dresses were absolutely beautiful, no mistakes there, but the three fairies couldn't decide upon a dress color to save their lives. Daisy Duck was no help, since her mind was just as changeable as the fairies'. They had spent several minutes arguing before the outspoken duck finally decided on a blue dress. Kairi was fortunate that she was the bride, and was therefore expected to wear white. At the moment, the fairies were working on Queen Minnie's dress.

"Blue!" Merryweather shouted, changing Minnie's dress from its original pink to a lovely blue. Kairi thought Minnie looked nice either way, and it didn't really matter to her, if only someone would _pick something_!

"Pink!" Flora shouted back, changing Minnie's dress back to its original color.

"I know! " Fauna suggested. "We can compromise! Look!" Of course, Fauna's "compromise" resulted in the dress turning green.

"Now now, dears!" Flora told the others. "This is a very special occasion, and we want Her Majesty the Queen to look her best. So pink is our color." To finalize the matter, she changed Minnie's dress pink again.

"But look at how good _blue_ looks on Daisy!" Merryweather objected. "So Queen Minnie should use blue too!" To prove her point, Merryweather changed Minnie's dress blue.

Queen Minnie, noticing Kairi's frustration and building up a little of her own, at last decided, "I think since it's Kairi's wedding, we should let her decide."

All three of the fairies laughed sheepishly. "Of course." Flora chuckled, turning to Kairi. "What color would you prefer, dear?"

Kairi breathed a sigh of relief that the argument was over. "It doesn't matter to me," she said, "as long as you just pick a color and stick with it."

They were interrupted by Riku's voice from just outside the door. "If you're about done in there, ladies, we need to get a move on."

Everyone nodded and began to walk out the door. At the last second, Kairi leaned down and whispered into Flora's ear, "Pink."

Flora nodded in understanding and changed Minnie's dress pink.

* * *

Sora was at last standing in front of the altar. The place was absolutely _packed_. Everyone in Disney Castle's court as well as most of the citizens of Radiant Garden had attended the wedding. He spotted Cloud and Leon in a corner, and in another he found everyone else in the Restoration Committee. Everyone looked as though they had fully recovered, even Kuro.

King Mickey stood in front of Sora, smiling that kind smile of his that clearly said, "I believe in you." Goofy, who was only a few feet away, smiled and waved at him, and let out a small "hyuck."

At last, Donald (the organist for the wedding) struck up a rather lively tune of "Here Comes the Bride" and the bridesmaids began to emerge. Queen Minnie Mouse came first, followed by Clarabelle Cow, Daisy Duck, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, and finally Kairi. Sora's eyes nearly popped out of his head upon seeing how beautiful she was, then locked onto her own violet orbs. She smiled at him from underneath her veil as Riku led her up the aisle.

When everyone was in position, King Mickey began the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we've gathered here today to join two loving hearts in the bond of holy matrimony. All of you here are friends of Sora, and many are Kairi's friends too. Sora has saved your worlds more than once, and it's my great pleasure to perform his wedding. May it signify the beginning of a well-deserved rest. Let's give 'em a hand!"

The sound of thunderous applause filled the room for a moment. When it quieted, Mickey turned to Riku. "Do you give up this woman to be married?"

_As if it was my decision_. Riku thought with a smile. All he said was, "I do."

Mickey nodded to Kairi, and she took her place beside Sora. "If there's anyone here with sufficient cause that this Princess of Heart and this Keybearer should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The room was so quiet, the drop of a pin would have sounded like a thunderclap. No one dared to even breathe. Donald accidentally hit a key on the organ with his elbow, and everyone laughed for a moment as the duck turned bright red.

Once the laughter had died down, Mickey smiled and continued. "Do you, Sora Hikari, take Kairi to be your lawfully wedded wife and to make her heart one with your own?"

Sora grinned and nodded. "I do."

Mickey turned to Kairi. "Do you, Kairi Herutsu , take Sora to be your lawfully wedded husband and to make his heart as one with your own?"

Kairi was already smiling. "I do."

"Then may your hearts always beat as one, and may they always be there to guide you." Mickey finished. "I now pronounce you man and wife, king and queen of Radiant Garden. Sora, you may kiss your bride."

Sora's fingers trembled with anticipation as he flung Kairi's veil back as though he were a child opening a Christmas gift. Kairi barely had time to react before her lips were connected with Sora's. She swore she felt the connection that bound their hearts grow just a little stronger. For the second time, thunderous applause filled the room.

Once Sora and Kairi had parted, Mickey clapped his hands, silencing everyone. "Please present the rings."

Sora reached into his pockets and found them empty. "Oops." he whispered to Kairi.

"Don't tell me you can't find the rings." Kairi whispered back, sounding a little concerned.

"Okay fine, I won't tell you." Sora replied.

"Here they are!" shouted a small voice from the back of the room. Dale scampered across the aisle, carrying Kairi's ring. Chip was right behind him with Sora's.

Sora grinned again. "I was just kidding, Kai. Like I'd really forget the rings."

Kairi could only smile back and shake her head at him. Dale scurried up to Sora's shoulders and placed Kairi's ring in his palm. Chip did the same to Kairi. Sora slipped Kairi's ring onto her finger, and he allowed her to do the same to him.

Suddenly, the Oathkeeper appeared in Sora's left hand so that both he and Kairi were gripping the hilt. "Sora, what's going on?" Kairi asked.

"Beats me." Sora replied. "I didn't do anything."

Suddenly, the familiar sequence of events that usually led to the sealing of a keyhole began to happen again. This time, however, the keyhole was shaped like a pair of hearts. A beam of light emitted from the Oathkeeper at the two hearts, and they slowly merged into one large heart. A locking sound was heard and both keyhole and keyblade disappeared.

"The keyblade approves of your marriage, Sora." King Mickey explained. "It just locked your hearts together."

"Good to know I have my keyblade's permission." Sora joked.

* * *

The wedding reception was as true to Disney Castle tradition as could be. Donald's cousin Gus Goose brought out the cake, which was a veritable culinary masterpiece. Of course, Gus didn't want to part with his cake and Donald had to hold him off while penguin servers brought slices to all of the guests.

After the feast was over, Donald and Goofy walked to the middle of the large room. "All right, guys, clear the dance floor!" Goofy called.

"It's time for the bride and groom to dance!" Donald added.

Before Sora or Kairi could say or do anything, Donald and Goofy pulled them to the dance floor before joining the others. "Well," Sora told Kairi, "I guess there's no way around it now."

"Would this be a bad time to tell you I can't dance?" Kairi whispered.

"I'll teach you." Sora offered. "I picked up several steps from Beast's Castle and Halloweentown. This hand goes in mine, and your other hand goes on my shoulder. Now just follow my lead."

Whether because of her status as a Princess of Heart or because her teacher happened to be her new husband, Kairi picked up the steps very quickly. After the very brief tutorial, Goofy dimmed the lights while Donald put on the record for the first song, "You'll be in My Heart."

After the first song ended, Donald made an announcement. "Attention everybody! We've got two special guests who want to sing a song! Put your hands together for Joe Carioca and Panchito!"

Kairi looked at Sora questioningly. "What did he say?"

Sora shrugged. "I heard the part about two special guests, but that was it."

Before Kairi could issue a reply, two figures strode to the front of the room. The first was a parrot in a yellow jacket and Panama hat; the second was a rooster in a red vest and oversized sombrero. "Hola, amigos!" the rooster called. "Allow me to introduce ourselves! My name is Panchito Romero Miguel Junipero Francisco Quintero González III, but you may know me as Panchito Pistoles. This is mi amigo José Carioca, and it is our pleasure to liven up this party with the rhythm of the samba!"

"Who are they?" Kairi asked Sora.

"They're new to me." Sora shrugged. "I think they're Donald's friends."

Suddenly, a completely different style of music filled the room. This music was very lively and bouncy, and even the tables and chairs seemed to be bouncing in time to the music. José and Panchito started dancing in their place at the front of the room, and Sora watched them closely. After he thought he had the steps down, he began to dance with Kairi. Kairi had also been watching, and soon both bride and groom were bouncing to the samba. "Muy bien, Señor y Señora Hikari!" José called to them. "Now you have the rhythm of the samba!"

The rest of Disney Castle's court began to join in as well. José played his umbrella like a flute, and Panchito began to dance around his sombrero. Kairi reflected that although she was _worlds_ away from the islands that had been her home for so long, she was having the most fun she'd ever had.

As the party wound down, the time came for Kairi to throw her bridal bouquet. Every unmarried woman, including those in the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee, gathered around Kairi as she prepared to throw. Apparently, she threw it a little too hard, as it sailed over the women's heads. It looked as though no one would catch it, until a black-gloved hand shot up and snatched it from the air. Sora and Kairi let out a laugh.

The hand that caught the bouquet belonged to Cloud Strife.

When Cloud saw everyone staring at him, he shrugged and nonchalantly handed the bouquet to Tifa. Sora and Kairi smiled knowingly. They had a feeling there would be another wedding in the near future.

* * *

Kairi stood on the balcony that was connected to her and Sora's room. The sun had set, the party was over, and everyone had gone home. Sora was downstairs making the arrangements for their official coronation ceremony, so Kairi was alone. She was currently leaning on the balustrade, gazing into the stars.

Kairi was so immersed in thought that she did not hear her new husband approaching until his hand was on hers, bringing her back to reality. "What's on your mind, Kai?" he asked.

Kairi shook her head. "Nothing. I was just looking at the stars. It's hard to believe every single one's a different world."

Sora nodded and glanced up into the night sky. "Yeah. I wonder which one is Destiny Islands."

"Me too." Kairi concurred before pointing into the distance. "It's probably that tiny one over there."

Sora looked in the direction Kairi was pointing and found a small star that barely shone. "You're probably right." he laughed.

Kairi laughed too, then suddenly grew serious. "Do you miss home?"

"I am home." Sora replied.

Kairi raised an eyebrow at him. "Sora, just because we live here now--"

"It's got nothing to do with where we are." Sora told her before she could finish. "If there's one thing I learned after going to all these different worlds, it's that home is where the heart is. And my heart is with you. So as long as you're with me, I'm home."

"You're right, Sora." Kairi murmured. Then she smiled at him. "But that was still pretty corny. No more fortune cookies for you, Mr. Keyblade Master."

Sora had to smile back. "So does that make you _Mrs_. Keyblade Master now?"

Kairi giggled at this as Sora took her hand. "Come on," he told her, "let's go inside. It's cold out here."

Kairi raised an eyebrow at him as he led her inside and stretched out on their king-sized bed. Kairi took her place beside him. "Oh yeah," he sighed, wrapping an arm around her, "much warmer."

"Sora, if you're trying to be smooth, you're not doing a good job." Kairi told him with a sly smile.

Sora winced. "Ooh, it just got cold all over again." He was about to say something else when Kairi kissed him. After a good while, they broke apart. "And now it's hot." Sora laughed. "You need to stop playing with the thermostat."

"Can I at least turn it up a notch first?" Kairi asked.

"My thoughts exactly." Sora replied knowingly.

* * *

"Pooh-koo! Pooh-koo!"

Sora opened his eyes slowly and glared at the Pooh-koo clock (a wedding gift from the Hundred Acre Wood) mounted on his bedroom wall. _Our bedroom wall_, he reminded himself as the lovely creature beside him rolled over to face him. "Sora, turn that stupid thing off." Kairi groaned, referencing the Pooh-koo clock, which was still sounding.

Sora shook his head. "We gotta get ready for the coronation, remember?"

"Why did you schedule it so early?" Kairi asked.

"I didn't." Sora said with a soft chuckle. "It's not till tonight. I just wanted to wake up really early."

"I don't believe _that_ for a second." Kairi said sleepily. When the Pooh-koo clock refused to stop making noise, Kairi threw her pillow at it. It missed, but not by much.

"Jeez, Kairi! If your aim wasn't crappy in the morning, you would've broken it!" Sora teased.

"Shut up." Kairi retorted as she yanked Sora's pillow out from under his head and made it her own. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Oh yeah, and _I'm_ the lazy bum?" Sora laughed. "Come on, Kai! Pretty please wake up!" To emphasize his desperation, he poked Kairi's bare stomach.

Kairi giggled. "Don't do that."

Sora grinned. "What? _This_?" Sora poked Kairi again, just a little harder.

Kairi giggled even louder. "Sora, I mean it! That tickles!"

"Oh really?" Sora questioned, letting out his best evil laugh. "Ha ha ha ha! I've found your weakness, Mrs. Hikari! Now what are you gonna do?"

Before Kairi could open her mouth, Sora threw the covers over their heads and gave her the tickling of her life. "Sora!" Kairi pleaded between fits of laughter. "Stop it! I'm awake! I'm awake! I swear I'm awake!"

Sora at last gave Kairi a chance to breathe. "Serves you right for wanting to sleep in." he said with a satisfied smirk.

"Do I have permission to punish _you_ when _you_ don't wake up early enough?" Kairi asked.

Sora's grin became sheepish. "What if I say no?"

"Then I'll do it anyway." Kairi retorted. "All right, since you woke me up, _you_ get to climb out of bed first."

"I'll try." Sora sighed, sitting up and stretching. "We have a long day today, y'know."

Kairi sat up also. "Woah!" Sora laughed. "You're looking a little skimpy there."

Kairi crossed her arms. "That's because I'm not wearing anything."

"True." Sora admitted.

* * *

The coronation took place at six o'clock sharp. Merlin was appointed to crown Sora and Kairi as the new rulers if Radiant Garden. However, Sora had a very unconventional crowning in mind.

Sora and Kairi now stood in the castle foyer (Sora hated the idea of having thrones--he believed that they were too confining). All the residents of Radiant Garden were present during the ceremony.

"Ahem," Merlin began as he looked out at the crowd. "Today marks the beginning of a new age for Radiant Garden. Allow me to present first His Royal Highness, King Sora Hikari."

Sora looked around at the crowd gathered to watch Sora's crowning. instead of a crown to wear upon his head, however, Merlin held up a gold chain, bearing a golden crown pendant perfectly identical to Sora's silver one. "With this crown resting on Sora's heart and not his head, it will always remind him to follow his heart first." Merlin explained.

Sora removed the silver pendant from his neck and allowed Merlin to replace it with the gold. "But fear not," the wizard continued, "the silver pendant will not go to waste. I now present Her Royal Highness, Queen Kairi Hikari."

Sora turned to face his queen and fastened his old pendant around her neck. When they turned back to look at the crowd, everyone was kneeling. Even Merlin. "Long live King Sora!" Merlin urged the crowd. "Long live Queen Kairi!"

"Long live the king!" the crowd echoed. Of everyone present, Sora could make out the bass voice of Kuro the loudest. "Long live the queen!"

Sora took Kairi's hand and they walked through the crowd, which parted for them. Now, as they assumed their new roles in a new world, they smiled at each other. Sora had been right. Home is where the heart is, and their hearts rested with one another. As long as Sora had Kairi and she had him, that was all that mattered.

They would always be home.

* * *

**A/N: The End! I'm done crying now! **

**I used Joe Carioca and Panchito from The Three Caballeros. Gus Goose most recently appeared on House of Mouse. The little penguins serving cake are from Mary Poppins. They are the property of Walt Disney Studios, not me.**

**Yes, there is a sequel currently in production. I might wait a couple of weeks to start posting it, and even then the updates will be a little slower than the ones for this story. Check out my account page to see what I've got coming your way!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing out.**


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